The European AI debate is too much focused on reactions – including in culture. It is time to bring forward key actions for forward-looking policy visions and plans, I argued at the final conference of the strategic multiannual EU project Creative Flip. The cultural and creative sectors have the potential to be key players in such an approach. As senior policy expert for Creative Flip, I also designed and participated in a policy debate on AI and the Cultural and Creative Sectors at the project’s final conference. Based on my research, I recommend to reorient focus of policy action. While the prevention of damage in the CCS is needed, and Europe has a first relevant tool with the AI Act in place, not sufficient attention of European policy makers is dedicated to envision and designing wider perspectives in the digital world. Three main areas of action, from an expert point of view seem to me, most promising: 1) Building own large-scale digital platforms/services based on strategic autonomy as comprehensive demonstrators how a human- centred alternative of doing digital could bring forward the well-being of large parts of populations and creative sectors on the globe. 2) Investing further in global (beyond European) digital humanism concepts and principles in order to provide a strong conceptual base to global digital transformation anchored in global cooperation as an alternative choice to competitive and extractive practices. 3) Making a fair exchange and co-development offer to the Global South (the global majority) in which the principles like autonomy, humanism, well-being of populations are deeply embedded with the aim to co-construct a cooperative digital model for the 21st century. In addition, I share other key observations from our debate: • AI provides an opportunity to re-anchor broadly culture education in education policies (e. g. critical thinking, artistic literacy); • Partner with initiatives addressing consumer rights, active citizenship as well as with audiences for transparency, trust-building and strengthening democracy in the AI context • AI requires values-based change management inside the cultural sector (organisations, companies) as well as across sectors. Special thanks to my co-panellists for the very lively and constructive debate: Jordi Baltà Portolés, UNESCO expert, María Iglesias, European Commission, Mathieu Szeradzki, French Ministry of Culture, Heritiana Ranaivoson, VUB, Steven MacKay, Reset! Working Group on Digital Ethics, Isabelle De Voldere, IDEA Consult