Foreign Minister Valtonen: Europe must be free to decide its own destiny in the age of AI

Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen spoke about Europe’s future at Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, while in London.

Artificial intelligence is transforming societies, economies and the global distribution of power. 

Minister Valtonen called on Europe to be confident and believe in its own capabilities. She argued that Europe holds the cards it needs to succeed in the age of AI and made a case for European confidence: 

“Not confidence as posture, and certainly not as nostalgia. Rather confidence as capability: the confidence that comes from knowing that Europe can choose for itself and decide its own destiny on its own terms,” Minister Valtonen said.

Foreign Minister Valtonen has consistently incorporated AI into Finland’s foreign and security policy agenda. Finland is seeking to deepen its cooperation with trusted partners, advance AI governance grounded in international law and human rights and ensure that technological development expands rather than restricts the freedom of individuals and states to act.

Foreign Minister Valtonen holds MSc degrees in information technology  (Helsinki University of Technology) and economics and business administration (Helsinki School of Economics). Prior to her political career, she worked as an AI programmer and tech entrepreneur. She completed her master’s thesis on an error-correcting neural network in 2005.