Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says the artificial-intelligence industry cannot be left to regulate itself, arguing that the companies building powerful systems should not also be the only referees deciding what counts as safe. We tried “trust the people selling it” with cigarettes, subprime mortgages and Facebook privacy settings. The historical montage is not encouraging.
Speaking at an AI-governance event in Madrid, Sánchez warned about concentrated technological power, misinformation, privacy loss and disruption to employment.
Spain wants rules and infrastructure
The government plans to release a 12-month roadmap for responsible AI development while strengthening cybersecurity. It also wants to build a large AI computing facility and support new models developed with the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre for uses including climate, health and energy.
Sánchez said data centers should meet strong environmental standards, protect data autonomy and create real benefits for surrounding communities. That matters because AI's invisible magic requires extremely visible electricity, water, land and public infrastructure.
Innovation and oversight are not opposites
Technology companies often argue that detailed regulation can slow research or lock in today's market leaders. Governments counter that voluntary promises are weakest precisely when competition creates pressure to move faster.
Reuters reported Sánchez's remarks on September 21, 2026.
The hard part is writing rules that can keep pace with the systems without becoming decorative paperwork. Spain's position is at least clear: society should not discover the safety plan only after the software has shipped, reorganized three industries and asked everyone to accept a new terms-of-service agreement.
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