On February 13, EACC Florida held a well-attended Fireside Chat titled “Tech Policy in the EU and US under Trump 2.0 – Regulatory Challenges & Business Opportunities for the Industry”.
The program was kindly hosted by Greenberg Traurig and moderated by Alan Sutin, Senior Chair, Global Intellectual Property & Technology Group – Greenberg Traurig, and President – EACC Florida. The panel featured Johannes Bahrke, Digital Counselor at the EU Delegation to the United States in conversation with Victor Lozinski, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of LeverX.
Some key take-aways included:
✔️ EU’s AI regulatory approach: the EU’s AI Act aims to balance innovation with responsibility, using a risk-based approach. While some argue regulation stifles growth, others see it as a way to build trust and ensure ethical AI development. The EU is not regulating AI itself but rather its use cases. The focus is on ensuring high-risk applications (e.g., AI in hiring or credit scoring), meet transparency and safety standards, while the majority of AI innovation remain unrestricted.
✔️ The challenge of regulating the Unknown: how do you regulate AI when it’s not fully understood – even by many policymakers and industry experts? AI’s unpredictable behaviors, like hallucinations, make it difficult to impose rigid rules without stifling innovation.
✔️ Global AI race: the emergence of AI models like DeepSeek highlights the shifting dynamics of AI development particularly with accelerating innovation from China. It clearly challenges the old saying that while the U.S. innovates, Europe regulates, and China imitates.
✔️ Transatlantic alignment (or lack thereof): the AI Action Summit held in Paris earlier that week underscored differences in approach between the EU, U.S., and UK. The EU is pushing for structured AI governance, while the U.S. and UK declined to sign a key declaration, citing concerns over potential restrictions on innovation and free speech.
✔️ Regulation & Innovation are not mutually exclusive: striking the right balance will be critical. As AI continues to evolve, global collaboration will be essential to ensure responsible and competitive growth.
The program was followed by a lively Reception which also marked EACC Florida’s 5th Anniversary.
We were honored to have as guests representatives of the European Consular Corps, Trade and Investment agencies, representatives of local government, Port Miami, Port Everglades, economic development organizations, and many EACC Florida Member Companies and Friends! EACC Florida extends a special Merci! to Gerard Philippeaux, Executive Director – Miami Dade County International Trade Consortium, for his very kind comments made during the Reception.
