Artificial intelligence — Publications

Fighting for Democracy Amid the AI Race: Designing Tech Industrial Policy to Promote Democratic Economic Governance

Open Markets' Europe director, Max von Thun, and industrial policy program manager, AudreyStienon, discuss in Competition Policy International's TechREG Chronicle how AI policy narratives framed around the goal of "winning" a global race threaten to undermine the democratic values that this technology is supposed to help defend. Instead, von Thun and Stienon present a vision for an industrial strategy for AI centered on democratic governance as a means of protecting the public interest.

Financial Times - Can Europe Make a Difference?

Open Markets Europe director Max von Thun argued in this co-written article that Europe has an opportunity to counter concentrated tech power and assert global economic leadership by aligning digital markets with democratic values and deeper economic integration

The Corner Newsletter: OpenAI’s RAMpage (February 10th, 2026)

In this issue, we explore the legal and economic impact of OpenAI’s deals to lock up supply of memory chips.

Report - Taming the Hyperscalers

The Open Markets Institute published a blueprint for Europe’s transition towards an open, competitive, and sovereign cloud market, co-authored by Europe director Max von Thun and EU tech policy fellow George Colville.

Tech Policy Press - Google’s Wiz Deal Could Become a Trojan Horse in Europe’s Cloud

Europe research fellow Claire Lavin co-wrote an article arguing that Google’s proposed $32 billion acquisition of Wiz would dangerously concentrate control over Europe’s cloud security infrastructure in the hands of a U.S. tech gatekeeper, threatening competition, data governance, and digital sovereignty—and must be rigorously investigated and potentially blocked by EU regulators.

The European Commission Launches Aggressive Enforcement Actions to Protect AI Competition and Democracy

Europe director Max von Thun spotlights the EU’s new antitrust investigations into Google and Meta mark a crucial step toward preventing Big Tech from using its platform power to dominate AI, exploit creators, and undermine competition and democratic access to information.

As Europe Retreats on Carbon Pricing, German Business May be a Bigger Factor Than Trump Tariffs

Industrial Policy Program Manager Audrey Stienon writes that Europe’s landmark Green Deal is being weakened under pressure from Trump’s tariff threats and rising far-right influence, jeopardizing the EU’s climate ambitions and democratic sovereignty.

ArticlesOMI EuropeDecember 2, 20252025, Artificial intelligence, December 2025, Europe, Audrey Stienon, Decarbonization

Open Markets Submits Review of the Digital Markets Act - Considerations on Cloud and AI

The Open Markets Institute Europe submitted observations to the European Commission as part of its consultation on the review of the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”).

The Future of Democracy: Speech, Thought, Sovereignty, and Power in the Age of Platforms and AI

The Open Markets Institute and ARTICLE 19 hosted on October 15th & 16th a convening of high-level leading thinkers, lawmakers, technologists, and advocates who discussed the direct and growing threats to our democracies and basic liberties posed by today’s dominant online communications platforms, the rise of AI, and interference by foreign states.

The Corner Newsletter: U.S. vs European Actions vs Google, & How AI Drives Up Electricity Bills (September 9th, 2025)

In this issue, we look at last week’s very different enforcement actions in Brussels and Washington on Google antitrust. And how Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook get you to subsidize their enormous AI electricity bills.

NewslettersMiquel KendrickSeptember 9, 2025September 2025, 2025, Europe, Big Tech, Google, Artificial intelligence, Secondary Feature

How Big Tech’s AI Dreams are Driving Your Electricity Bills Through the Roof

EU tech policy fellow George Colville argues that the AI industry's growing energy demands are unfairly driving up electricity prices for ordinary Americans, with tech giants leveraging their power to shift the cost burden onto taxpayers and households instead of bearing it themselves.

Open Markets Submits Recommendations on Cloud and AI Development Act, Urges EU to Break Big Tech’s Cloud Monopoly

The Open Markets Institute warns that the European Commission's Cloud and AI Development Act will fail to achieve its goals unless it directly addresses the dominance of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google in the cloud computing market, advocating for regulatory reforms to ensure fair competition and digital sovereignty in Europe.

Innovation beyond Big Tech

The Open Markets Institute held a panel at the CDPD Conference on May 23rd, 2025 aimed at challenging the myth that Big Tech is the primary driver of AI innovation, highlighting how competition, regulation, and public-interest policies can foster a more open and democratic innovation ecosystem.

EventsOMI EuropeMay 23, 2025Europe, Max von Thun, 2025, may 2025, Artificial intelligence, Big Tech

WEBINAR: Engineering the Cloud Commons: Tackling Monopoly Control of Critical Digital Infrastructure

Our webinar was hosted on May 15th, focusing on concentrated corporate control over cloud infrastructure threatens competition, innovation, and national security—and what bold steps are needed to build a more open, resilient digital future.

Le Grand Continent - After the Paris AI Summit, the Union must not fall into Trump's trap

Senior EU Fellow Cori Crider expressed how after the AI summit in Paris, Europe must avoid succumbing to Trump's influence and should assert its independence, rejecting appeasement toward the US and Big Tech, which threaten its political and economic sovereignty.

Op-Eds, ArticlesOMI EuropeFebruary 12, 2025Europe, Artificial intelligence, cori crider, Politics, Secondary Feature

Tech Policy Press - The Paris AI Action Summit: A Pivotal Moment to Reclaim AI from Big Tech

Europe director Max von Thun co-wrote a piece alongside fellow Michelle Nie discussing French AI Action Summit must address Big Tech's control over AI infrastructure and policy to ensure AI aligns with the public interest and independent regulation.

Expert Brief - AI and Market Concentration

Europe director Max von Thun and CJL director Courtney Radsch along with EU Tech Policy Fellow Michelle Nie published an expert brief on how artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly monopolized by Big Tech firms due to high entry barriers and anticompetitive practices, posing risks to competition, privacy, security, innovation, and the environment. They prescribe a set of robust policy interventions to address the problems.

Open Markets Institute: European Commission will rue decision not to fully investigate NVIDIA's acquisition of Run:ai

The Open Markets Institute shares deep regrets that the European Commission chose not to intervene in Nvidia’s acquisition of Run:ai.

Open Markets Urges European Commission to Investigate Nvidia’s Planned Acquisition of Run:ai

The Open Markets Institute, alongside eight partner organizations, has made a detailed submission to the European Commission, urging it to fully investigate U.S. chipmaker Nvidia’s planned acquisition of workload management startup Run:ai.

CounterPunch - It’s Not Too Late to Stop the Monopolization of AI

Senior legal analyst Daniel Hanley and Europe director Max von Thun co-author an article warning that the monopolization of AI by a few powerful corporations threatens innovation and democracy, urging immediate action to regulate and democratize the technology for the public good.

Publications

Donate