AI as Public Infrastructure

This is a single presentation designed to help audiences understand how artificial intelligence is becoming part of social and political infrastructure and why governance choices made now matter. As AI systems shape access to information, services, and economic opportunity, questions of ownership, control, and accountability move to the foreground. This briefing examines how current models organize power, how European approaches to AI governance are evolving, and where space exists for alternative paths. Rather than focusing on technical details, the presentation looks at AI through the lens of infrastructure: who builds it, who governs it, and who benefits from it. The talk draws on real-world examples, policy developments, and historical analogies to make abstract governance questions concrete and relatable. What the presentation covers: -How AI shifts from a tool to infrastructure -Why governance matters when systems operate at scale -Europe’s emerging approach to AI governance and autonomy -The limits of corporate-led and state-centered models -A third option focused on public interest, shared ownership, and democratic oversight - Practical implications for institutions, organizations, and communities