The European Union wants to play a greater role in the development of artificial intelligence. That is why the Council of the EU gave the green light this week for the establishment of so-called AI gigafactories. These are large, advanced centers where extremely powerful computers can be used to work on new AI applications.
With this decision, the EU wants to prevent Europe from falling behind other major powers, such as the United States and China. Artificial intelligence is seen as a key technology for the future, with major implications for the economy, security, healthcare, and science. According to the EU, it is therefore important that Europe itself has the infrastructure to develop this technology.
The AI gigafactories will consist of large-scale data centers and supercomputers. These will enable complex AI models to be trained, something that currently mainly takes place outside Europe. Researchers, companies, and start-ups will have access to these facilities, enabling them to accelerate innovation within Europe.
The plan is part of an amendment to the existing rules for European supercomputers. These rules are intended to ensure that public investments and private parties can collaborate more effectively. At the same time, the EU says it will continue to focus on fair access, so that smaller companies and start-ups can also benefit, and not just large tech players.
The new regulations are expected to officially come into force at the end of January. Member states and European institutions can then begin to work out the details: where the gigafactories will be located, who will manage them, and how they will be financed.
According to the Council, this is a necessary step to make Europe technologically stronger and more independent. By investing in its own AI capacity, the EU not only wants to stimulate economic growth, but also to maintain greater control over how this powerful technology is developed and used.
