Photo by Mike Kononov on Unsplash.
As Europe moves toward greater AI sovereignty, defining what societal success means has never been more crucial. On 3 December, our webinar titled “What is success in European AI?” set out to discuss just that.
Our panelists, representing EU institutions, civil society, and the AI industry, offered insight into the complexities of implementing, deploying, and governing AI. Throughout the discussion, a tension emerged: is the European Union’s pursuit of AI “success”, often framed through economic competitiveness and global AI race, in conflict with its core values of human-centricity and sustainability? What followed was a reflection on a policy landscape that is still finding its moral compass.
This blog, written by Loredana Bucseneanu, Project Manager at the European DIGITAL SME Alliance, is part of a three-part series on expert views on AI success. FORSEE researchers presented these statements during the webinar to provoke discussion about what success in AI means. You can read the other two here and here.
Expanding the AI debate: Focusing on SMEs, workers, and democratic oversight
AI is often framed as a driver of growth and productivity, and economic analyses focus on productivity gains, potential for GDP growth, and job market impacts. Yet this perspective overlooks how AI is reshaping the social fabric of work: the organisation of workplaces, the distribution of power, and the conditions under which people participate in economic life.
We believe that we need to expand this debate by examining closely the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in producing and adopting AI, while incorporating the perspectives of trade unions and labour organisations into AI policies. SMEs employ the majority of Europe’s workforce and frequently innovate in ways that are rooted in local needs and community contexts—areas that large corporations often ignore.
But they also face significant constraints in the AI transition, including limited financial resources, uneven access to data and digital infrastructure, shortages of specialised skills, and uncertainty about regulatory requirements. Targeted public investment, shared data resources, and accessible digital infrastructure could help unlock their potential to contribute to a democratic and diversified AI ecosystem.
A European AI strategy that supports SME innovation while empowering workers
In parallel, workers across Europe have expressed growing concern about the spread of algorithmic management systems, the intensification of digital surveillance both during and beyond working hours, and the shrinking space for collective input in workplace decision-making. These risks are especially acute in organisations—often SMEs—that lack dedicated capacity to evaluate or negotiate the introduction of AI tools. Trade unions and social partners, therefore, need a stronger role in shaping workplace governance, ensuring transparency, negotiating safeguards, and protecting labour rights in data-driven environments.
Bringing these perspectives together is essential. A European AI strategy that supports SME innovation while empowering workers can foster more accountable, context-aware, and equitable uses of AI. Only by embedding SME participation, worker voice, and democratic oversight into the AI ecosystem can Europe ensure that technological progress and social equality advance hand in hand.
