OpenAI EU Economic Blueprint 2.0

OpenAI has launched the EU Economic Blueprint 2.0, a strategic framework and set of initiatives designed to accelerate AI adoption across Europe to prevent a productivity gap between nations, sectors, and firms. The announcement includes the launch of an SME AI Accelerator, a €500,000 Youth Safety Grant, and the expansion of the OpenAI for Europe initiative.

Closing the AI Capability Overhang

OpenAI defines the "capability overhang" as the gap between the technical capabilities of frontier AI systems and how they are actually utilized by people, businesses, and countries. This gap risks concentrating productivity gains in a small number of entities while others fall behind.

Usage Data and Global Disparities

OpenAI's data reveals significant disparities in how AI is used:

  • Power User Gap: Globally, typical power users utilize 7x more "thinking capabilities" (a measure of the effort a model uses to respond to queries) than typical users.
  • National Disparities: In the 70 countries with the highest ChatGPT usage, leading countries use 3x more thinking capabilities per person than lagging countries.
  • EU Performance: On average, the EU uses 17% more thinking capabilities than the rest of the world. However, nine EU countries remain below the global average, and the most intensive country uses approximately 40% more than the least intensive.

Policy Recommendations

To address the capability overhang, OpenAI recommends that policymakers implement:

  • National AI-in-education frameworks.
  • Portable AI skills accreditation schemes.
  • National and sector-level measurements of adoption and usage to monitor progress.

The SME AI Accelerator

To bridge the adoption gap between small and large businesses—noting that 2025 Eurostat data shows AI adoption at 17% for small businesses compared to 55% for large enterprises—OpenAI is launching the SME AI Accelerator in partnership with Booking.com.

Program Details:

  • Target: 20,000 SMEs across Europe.
  • Scope: Open to small business owners and teams across all sectors, including those without technical backgrounds.
  • Delivery: In-person workshops and virtual training sessions via the OpenAI Academy.
  • Participating Countries: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Ireland, and the UK.

Responsible AI and Youth Safety

OpenAI is establishing a €500,000 Youth Safety Grant Program to support research into child protection, digital wellbeing, and evidence-based approaches to youth online safety. This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between independent researchers, AI developers, and local youth organizations.

Additionally, OpenAI notes its position as the first U.S. AI lab to sign the EU AI Act Code of Practice as part of its commitment to safety and trust.

OpenAI for Europe Government Partnerships

OpenAI is expanding its government-level collaborations through the "OpenAI for Europe" initiative, a regional adaptation of the "OpenAI for Countries" program.

Building on previous work with sovereign infrastructure in Germany and Stargate Norway, and skill-development programs in Estonia, Greece, Ireland, and Slovakia, the 2026 expansion will focus on the following policy areas:

  • Education and health
  • AI skills training and certifications
  • Disaster response and preparedness
  • Cybersecurity
  • Startup accelerators

Sources