AI politics and regulation in the European Parliament

Ideological divides and policy convergence amid generative AI’s ascent

Bibliographic Data

ID24230421
AuthorsÉmilie Proulx (0009-0005-8671-1018, Northeastern University), Steve Jacob (0000-0001-8301-2151, Université Laval), Arnaud Beaulé (0009-0000-4086-9841, Université Laval), Shannon Dinan (0000-0002-2714-6865, Université Laval), Yannick Dufresne (0000-0002-6211-2193, Université Laval)
Year2026
Publication date2026-10-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Union Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1465-1165 • E-ISSN: 1741-2757
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14651165261494187
OpenAlexW7221169405
LanguageEN
References cited52

This study examines how European parliamentarians frame artificial intelligence in plenary speech. It also assesses how these frames map onto partisan divisions. Analyzing 666 interventions in the European Parliament (2014–2024), it shows that frames of artificial intelligence follow traditional ideological cleavages, with right-leaning parliamentarians deploying techno-optimistic frames that foreground economic innovation while left-leaning parliamentarians frame the technology through concerns about social risks and employment impacts. Thematic context also shapes framing. When interventions address economic competitiveness, optimistic frames increase significantly across the political spectrum. The findings reveal a cross-partisan consensus in favor of regulating artificial intelligence, regardless of the frames deployed. This suggests that political contestation centers not on the principle of regulatory intervention, but on its modalities and objectives. Emerging technologies are absorbed into existing ideological frameworks while generating zones of strategic convergence when economic and normative considerations align.

AI regulation · economic competitiveness · employment effects · European Parliament · generative AI · partisan divisions · policy convergence · political ideology · technological optimism · Artificial Intelligence · Digitalization, Law, and Regulation · Ethics and Social Impacts of AI · European Union Policy and Governance

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