Since the discovery of insulin nearly 100 years ago, advances in diabetes treatments and therapies have transformed the lives of people with diabetes (PwD), notably reducing the daily burden of its management. Newer technologies, including those driven by artificial intelligence, have the potential to further improve the quality of life of PwD and help identify and diagnose people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications early. However, medical and technological advances alone are not enough to fix the diabetes challenge. It is also critical to acknowledge the complexity and the seriousness of diabetes, its impact on the quality of life and well-being of over 32 million PwD in the EU and the financial burden it represents for health systems and society at large.