Europe Selects Websites for Seven AI Factories

Europe has chosen the websites for seven “AI factories” — specialised analysis and improvement centres utilizing the area’s strongest supercomputers. The factories can be primarily based in Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden.

The interconnected community of factories will drive developments in AI purposes throughout numerous sectors within the E.U., together with well being, manufacturing, power, local weather, and finance. It can be managed by the European Excessive Efficiency Computing Joint Enterprise, an organisation set as much as develop a world-class supercomputing ecosystem within the area.

Websites will greater than double E.U.’s information capability

AI startups, small and medium enterprises, and researchers throughout the continent can simply access high-performance computing assets, coaching, and experience by the factories. The purpose is to convey collectively the “key ingredients for success in AI,” that are computing energy, information, and expertise. Collectively, the seven factories will greater than double the E.U.’s information capability by 2026.

5 of the websites will contain new AI-optimised supercomputers, whereas the one in Spain will contain upgrading an present EuroHPC system, MareNostrum 5. Likewise, the ability in Greece can be related to the DAEDALUS supercomputer at the moment deployed in Athens.

The factories in Spain and Finland could have an “experimental platform” designed particularly to develop and check frontier AI fashions.

Who will fund Europe’s new AI factories?

The EuroHPC JU, the European Fee, and particular person Member States will share funding for the seven factories, totaling €2.1 billion. The E.U. can even present €100 million to support incubation and start-up actions, aiming to draw a further €1 billion from non-public traders.

The AI factories will decrease the standard obstacles to entry related to AI know-how, similar to the price of putting in {hardware}, scarcity of relevant expertise, and information security considerations stemming from utilizing offshore cloud suppliers. They can even make it simpler for researchers to stick to the E.U.’s strict information safety and AI ethics necessities, because the factories’ administration groups can be liable for compliance.

Moreover, a September report by former European Central Financial institution President and economist Mario Draghi claimed that the bloc was not aggressive with different international areas by way of innovation, particularly with superior applied sciences. The factories intend to assist handle this lack of competitiveness, assure strategic sovereignty, and enhance control over information and safety.

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“Now we’re prepared to steer with the fitting infrastructure in our ambition for the EU to turn out to be the AI continent,” mentioned Henna Virkkunen, government vice-president for Tech Sovereignty, Safety and Democracy, in a statement.

First seven factories to be operational by 2026

In Jan. 2024, the European Fee launched a package deal of measures to assist European startups and SMEs growing reliable AI in step with the AI Act. Amongst them was a proposal to allow the institution of accessible AI factories utilizing the EuroHPC infrastructure.

In Might, the European AI Office was shaped largely to control the deployment of the final goal fashions and the AI Act. Nonetheless, the office can be tasked with establishing AI factories.

Proposals for the seven factories have been received in November after which formally introduced on Dec. 10. The aim is to arrange the primary AI factories in early 2025 and full them by 2026. Extra might be part of later; Cyprus and Slovenia have submitted letters of curiosity, and Feb. 1 is the deadline for the second spherical of proposals.