The European Union has unveiled a new plan to boost the development of artificial intelligence in the region and strengthen Europe's position in the global market - in competition with the United States and China. The initiative is a response to complaints from technology companies about over-regulation of the European AI industry.
In a press release, the European Commission presented the AI Continent Action Plan, the main idea of which is to use Europe's strong traditional industries and highly skilled professionals to stimulate innovation and accelerate progress in the field of artificial intelligence.
Among the main areas: the creation of a network of specialized "AI factories" and "gigafactories" - large facilities with advanced equipment for training modern AI models, as well as the opening of laboratories that will help startups gain access to high-quality training data.
A new AI Act helpdesk is also planned to be launched to advise companies on compliance. The Commission says the new legislation should strengthen citizens’ trust in technology and provide businesses with clear rules of the game.
This plan has much in common with the British initiative presented earlier this year. Like the EU, the UK has also announced its intention to develop its own AI infrastructure to stimulate business development and support developers.