European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the EU's latest push to dominate global AI innovation Tuesday, announcing a €200 billion ($206.5B) investment plan called InvestAI. The initiative aims to position Europe as a leader in ethical artificial intelligence development while addressing current gaps in infrastructure and talent.
Scaling Up AI Infrastructure
A centerpiece of the plan is a €20.6B fund for AI gigafactories — advanced facilities equipped with 100,000 next-gen AI chips. This quadruples Europe's current capacity and directly supports training large-scale AI models. The Commission has already launched seven such facilities since December 2023, with five more soon to follow.
Driving Innovation and Adoption
'We want AI to be a force for good and for growth,' von der Leyen stated, emphasizing Europe's commitment to collaborative development. The plan includes:
- A new European AI Research Council to coordinate cross-border projects
- The Apply AI initiative launching in late 2024 to accelerate sector-specific implementations
- Expanded partnerships between universities and tech startups
This move comes as global AI investment surpasses $1.2 trillion annually, with Europe aiming to capture 25% of the market by 2030 according to Commission projections.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
