The EU braintrust brought us stupid cookie banners and now Italy and presumably other countries are trying to ban AI. So specifically, I think a stronger messag

The EU braintrust brought us stupid cookie banners and now Italy and presumably other countries are trying to ban AI. So specifically, I think a stronger message is sent by moving away from google then rent seeking fines on the per country basis. It lets you virtue signal that you care while presumably a) let Google do whatever it wants if it fills your coffers b) presumably benefit from their data in your intelligence schemes. > 180bn EUR Yeah a single fine was 4b so thats 2% of their budget annually and of course in aggregate a lot of money. So it sounds to me like they want their cake and eat it too. Sounds like Europe wants to benefit from data collection, wants to collect rent, wants to look proactive BUT doesn't want to do anything that causes real change. Im an American so I am not saying that our government is doing things right, far from it as we're basically living in a corporatacracy. It just seems like Europe doesn't have the culture or business incentives to succeed at tech so they try to extract a pound of flesh. Similarly, they don't have the courage to really protect their citizens. Same bullshit as US watered down bullshit, payoffs and laws more holey than swiss cheese. Edit: more cynical take is that they don't like Google'd power as it threatens them and they use their influence to cash grab and also try and control Google. Really doubt its particularly benevolent.