European investment in research and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence should be increased by at least 20 billion euros (24.4 billion dollars) between now and 2020, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The commission said it wants Europe, which has world-class AI research facilities and start-ups, to remain competitive in coming years by boosting funding both from the private and public sectors.

‘Just as the steam engine and electricity did in the past, AI is transforming our world,’ said European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip. ‘It presents new challenges that Europe should meet together in order for AI to succeed and work for everyone.’  He said the commission was allocating an additional 1.5 billion euros in funding for AI research and innovation between 2018 and 2020.

EU countries should also update their education and training systems to better prepare workers for a world driven by automation, the commission said.

To tackle possible ethical and legal issues arising from AI, the commission plans to present guidelines on such issues by the end of 2018.