The European Commission has announced a groundbreaking initiative to launch AI factories, an AI Office, and other AI-related measures, aimed at bolstering European startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This package of initiatives aligns with the European Union's (EU) values and regulations.
The announcement, following the agreement on the EU AI Act in December 2023, represents the world's first comprehensive law on powerful AI models, including those developed by major players like Microsoft and Google. The AI Act is designed to encourage the creation, deployment, and adoption of reliable AI within the EU.
European startups will have simplified access to dedicated AI supercomputers, promoting the development of general-purpose AI models. This initiative is expected to significantly accelerate the adoption of AI technology across Europe.
In her ‘State of the Union’ address in September 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, outlined plans to make Europe’s supercomputers available to innovative AI startups for training their AI models. Additionally, the Large AI Grand Challenge, launched in November 2023, offers AI startups financial support and access to supercomputing resources.
The AI Factories, or one-stop shops, will assist AI startups and researchers in developing algorithms, testing and validating large-scale AI models, and ensuring access to dedicated AI supercomputers. An AI Office will also be established within the Commission to oversee the development and coordination of AI policy at the European level and supervise the implementation of the AI Act.
An EU AI Start-Up and Innovation Communication initiative is set to generate an additional total investment of approximately €4 billion until 2027, combining public and private funds.
Two European Digital Infrastructure Consortiums (EDICs) have been established: The Alliance for Language Technologies, addressing the shortage of European language data for AI training, and ‘CitiVERSE’, leveraging AI tools for Local Digital Twins in Smart Communities.
This initiative marks a significant step for the EU in becoming a global leader in AI technology, fostering innovation and providing cutting-edge tools to startups and SMEs.
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