The European Union is the world's second-largest economy in terms of GDP, but when it comes to its place on the AI market, its position is by far not as strong. To catch up with the U.S. and China, the bloc is launching a $30 billion initiative to build a network of high-capacity data centers that can host millions of AI GPUs, reports CNBC. If successful, the EU will have gigawatt-class datacenters with performance akin to that owned by leading U.S. companies.
To date, the European Union has allocated €10 billion (approximately $11.8 billion) to establish 13 AI data centers, alongside an additional €20 billion earmarked as initial funding for a network of gigawatt-class AI facilities. So far, the project has attracted 76 expressions of interest from 16 member states, covering a total of 60 potential locations, according to CNBC. Initial launches are underway, with the first AI factory expected to go live in the coming weeks and a large-scale project in Munich planned for early September.
