EU Leaders to Meet in Dublin on AI
European Council President António Costa has invited EU heads of state or government to an informal AI-focused meeting hosted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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European Council President António Costa has invited EU heads of state or government to an informal meeting on 13 November 2026, hosted in Dublin by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and focused on artificial intelligence. The gathering is the first dedicated leaders-level discussion on AI.
Why it matters
Given the rapid pace of AI development, a dedicated leaders-level discussion is needed to address the opportunities AI presents and its transformative effect on economies and societies. The meeting follows leaders' February agreement that 2026 would be the 'Year of Competitiveness'.
The agenda outline lists a morning session starting at 9:45 with two external guests and a lunch exchange among all 27 member states, with the meeting planned to conclude by 16:00. The outcomes of the discussions have not yet been stated.
The players
António Costa
António Costa is the President of the European Council, who issued the invitation for the informal leaders' meeting on AI.
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is the Taoiseach of Ireland, who will host the informal EU leaders' meeting in Dublin.
Arthur Mensch
Arthur Mensch is the CEO of Mistral AI, a French artificial intelligence company, and will present at the morning session.
Geoffrey Hinton
Geoffrey Hinton is a British-Canadian computer scientist and Nobel Prize laureate known as a pioneer of deep learning, and will take part in the morning session.
The details
The morning session will feature presentations and exchanges with Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI, and Nobel Prize laureate Professor Geoffrey Hinton. The lunch session will allow the 27 member states to exchange views on the way forward for AI.
Timeline
February 2026: Leaders agree that 2026 will be the 'Year of Competitiveness.'
March 2026: The European Council underlines the need to channel investment toward the technologies of tomorrow.
13 November 2026: Heads of state or government meet informally in Dublin to discuss AI.
2027: Leaders are expected to return to AI, including at the next Leaders' Retreat in Alden Biesen.
Roadmap
The meeting extends the EU's 'Year of Competitiveness' agenda, first agreed in February 2026, by bringing artificial intelligence to the leaders' table for the first time. Leaders have signaled that AI will return on the agenda in 2027, including at the next Leaders' Retreat in Alden Biesen.
For readers following AI regulation and investment, the meeting signals that EU leaders will set priorities for AI development and funding that could shape the tools and services available in the region. The concrete policy outcomes, if any, have not yet been announced.
The takeaway
The informal Dublin meeting marks the first time EU leaders will sit down together specifically on artificial intelligence, a sign that the bloc is treating AI as a core competitiveness issue. Readers should watch for concrete commitments that may follow from the discussions.
What happens next
Heads of state or government will meet informally in Dublin on 13 November 2026, and leaders will return to AI at the next Leaders' Retreat in Alden Biesen in 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how policymakers are approaching the technology, explore our coverage of Artificial Intelligence.
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