Europe wants a robot army to challenge the US and China on AI

A concept flight attendant humanoid robot stands on the THK America Inc. exhibition stand at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The event showcases the latest ideas and innovations in aircraft cabin interiors, in-flight entertainment, connectivity and passenger services. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

At the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in southwest England, dozens of tiny metal machines were poised to dance over a shiny white surface in “swarming” experiments to track how they organise themselves and work together. 

The scene at the European Union-funded facility this week mirrored what the continent is now trying to do to compete with the US and China in Artificial Intelligence, or AI.