At TechBBQ, the conversation about AI in Europe went something like this: Who is actually in control?

At TechBBQ in Copenhagen, the conversation among investors, founders, and executives from across Europe was not just what to build with AI, but who should control it. Everywhere during the annual Nordic conference, from the stage to the cocktail hour to the afterparty, there was constant talk about how Europe can gain control over the technologies that underpin AI.

This question of sovereignty fits perfectly with this year’s theme of “de-agency,” and was especially timely after Anthropic’s AI models Mythos and Fable became unavailable to users outside of Europe earlier this year.

This incident has led many in the European ecosystem to think seriously about what it means to own, rather than rent, the models and infrastructure that will support this wave of AI from the US or China.

One startup executive told me that the Mythos and Fable incident had caused serious disruption to the software team, but another dismissed it. Sure, depending on two other geopolitical powers for AI might one day cause serious headaches for Europe, but for now, everything is still pretty much OK, the startup executive said.

“TechBBQ’s agency theme felt particularly timely this year as the conversation moved from what AI can do to what we actually want AI to do,” said Ellen de Brever, an angel investor and head of partnerships at Novo Nordisk Foundation Sellator, during the conference, which ended on August 27.

There was a panel discussion on the future of women’s health, a summit on how the Nordic and African ecosystems can collaborate on innovation and investment, and a discussion on how to bring more growth capital to Europe. AI was an underlying theme in many of the conversations, but as de Brever pointed out, “the discussion wasn’t about smarter machines, it was about human judgment and who should be in the driver’s seat.”

“The age of AI agents is not really about machines getting agents,” she continued. “This is a story about humans deciding what to give up.”

One attendee told me that one of the most refreshing sessions at the event was a panel discussion with Signal President Meredith Whitaker. I moderated this panel, which focused on whether privacy and AI can coexist. Whittaker didn’t mince words and spoke out against AI assistants and agents being integrated into operating systems, like what ChatGPT is doing with iMessage.

He said this age of AI has produced “data aggregators” and AI institutes are doing clever marketing to make people forget the “collateral effects” of acquiring large amounts of data.

“There’s still a huge market need for privacy,” she says. “And especially when it comes to sovereignty concerns, we’re going to have a customer here.”

Elsewhere, Emad Mostaq, co-founder of Stability AI and Intelligent Internet, joined me on a panel to discuss how agent labor impacts the economy and what it means for individual sovereignty.

“Sovereignty is the ability to resist power exerted over you,” Mostak said. He talked about the concentration of power in a small number of AI research institutes, saying, “Inevitably, every country will be run by AI,” and “Those who control AI will control the country.”

Mia Nagle, director of advocacy and engagement at the nonprofit Life With Artificials, messaged me after the panel about something that came to mind while listening.

“If intelligent agents do cognitive tasks and robots do physical tasks, we may be on the verge of something much bigger than another technological revolution,” she said in a message. “We may also need to rethink property rights, labor, democracy, economic participation, and ultimately who can participate in society.”

But when panels weren’t being held, people relaxed at happy hours and rooftop soirées, and lighter conversations eventually became the norm.

Lovable, Nvidia, OpenAI, AWS Startups, and HSBC came together for a rooftop barbecue and I spoke with the founders about Denmark’s growing tech hub.

Ada Ventures in London hosted a gathering at cocktail bar Bird, where I spoke with a health tech founder about the rise in innovation in the women’s brain health space. Afterwards, a dinner for the speakers was held on an island in the middle of Copenhagen, where reporters from around the world sat together and watched fire dancers. The after-party continued upstairs, with everyone tempted for another drink until the bar closed.

“Even in a room full of mechanical conversations, the most memorable moments come from the simplest things,” de Brever says. “Connecting people, meeting people, building relationships, sharing ideas, and reminding each other of things that technology can never replace.”