‘Stop using US tech’: EU lawmaker says Starlink service cutoff led to deaths

EU lawmaker Aura Salla, speaking at the European Pulse Seminar, urged the cessation of using U.S. technology, asserting that it is her primary message. During an interview with POLITICO, Salla contended that the recent speed cap imposed on SpaceX's military Starshield service in Ukraine directly resulted in battlefield deaths, describing it as a "kill switch."

She emphasized the importance of such technology for national defense, stating that "we are losing lives in Ukraine. It's about our defense, because defense is technology."

Salla's remarks came in response to the European Commission's recent shift towards prioritizing AI adoption over the development of frontier models in Europe. In her September State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Europe does not need to develop frontier technology itself to reap its benefits, stating that "we do not need to be the ones who develop the frontier technology to be the ones who draw the greatest value from it."

Salla argued that Europe must establish frontier models to have a significant voice in upcoming negotiations regarding AI development and safety. She highlighted the warnings issued by leading French frontier lab Mistral, which cautioned that Europe will be marginalized in shaping AI without a pioneer in developing the most advanced models.

To foster the growth of frontier firms, Salla advocated for capital investment and a more integrated market, urging the harmonization of insolvency and tax rules along with cross-border pension-fund investments. She cited Danish funds financing weapons development in Romania as an example to support her case.