At the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit held in Paris, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized the importance of a strong infrastructure for AI startups in the region. She noted that the existing "AI factories" model is no longer sufficient and highlighted the need for "AI Gigafactories." The creation of this next-generation AI infrastructure, however, requires financial support from the private sector.
Von der Leyen pointed out that significant computational power is essential for advancements in the AI sector. Countries like the United States have already made significant progress in this direction. Europe aims to establish its own AI Gigafactories to remain competitive. These factories will stand out with an open and collaborative model, making them accessible to the wider public.
The EC President added that under the new InvestAI initiative, 50 billion euro will be allocated. Combined with 150 billion euro pledged by the private sector, this will form a total investment package of 200 billion euro.
As part of the InvestAI initiative, four AI Gigafactories will be established. These factories are intended to drive progress in healthcare, science, and other strategic fields. Each factory will reportedly be equipped with approximately 100,000 AI chips.
Von der Leyen emphasized that Europe's collaborative approach to intellectual property (IP) creates an advantage for attracting investors. The new AI infrastructure will be accessible to researchers and startups. One example highlighted was hospitals being able to develop secure AI models based on their medical imaging and genetic data.
This initiative aims to position Europe as a global leader in AI and will remain open to the best talents in the field.
