Build, don’t bind: Accel’s Sonali De Rycker on Europe’s AI crossroads

Sonali De Rycker, a general partner at Accel and one of Europe’s most influential venture capitalists, is bullish about the continent’s prospects in AI. But she’s wary of regulatory overreach that could hamstring its momentum. At a TechCrunch StrictlyVC evening earlier this week in London, De Rycker reflected on Europe’s place in the global AI race, balancing optimism with realism. “We have all the pieces,” she told those gathered for the event. “We have the entrepreneurs, we have the ambition, we have the schools, we have the capital, and we have the talent.” All that’s missing, she argued, is the ability to “unleash” that potential at scale. The obstacle? Europe’s complex regulatory landscape and, in part, its pioneering but controversial Artificial Intelligence Act. De Rycker acknowledged that regulations have a role to play, especially in high-risk sectors like healthcare and finance. Still, she said she worries that the AI Act’s broad reach and potentially stifling fines could ... Read full article.