Deutsche Welle reported on the 30th: "On Thursday this week (July 30), the European Union announced it would provide €10 billion in funding to support companies in building seven artificial intelligence super-factories. The move aims to narrow the gap between the EU and the United States and China in the field of artificial intelligence."

Under the plan, each super-factory will be equipped with at least 100,000 cutting-edge AI chips, whose performance is approximately four times that of currently operating EU data centers. Once these seven super-factories become operational, the EU's current computing power—currently supplied by a network of 19 AI data centers across Europe—will more than double. The European Commission also disclosed that it has signed memoranda of understanding with AMD, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm to ensure smooth access to required hardware for the AI super-factories.

In Brussels' view, securing 'technological sovereignty' has become increasingly urgent. EU leaders are concerned that over-reliance on foreign suppliers' technologies could allow those technologies to be used as 'weapons' against Europeans. According to a Federal Reserve assessment from 2025, Europe lags significantly behind the U.S. and China in key areas of AI development. China possesses massive power supply capacity supporting data centers, while the U.S. dominates the vast majority of private AI investments.

Commentary: The EU's anxiety stems primarily from the fact that the AI race has already been clearly widened by China and the U.S. The U.S. holds substantial private capital, top-tier AI companies, and advanced chip technology; China boasts abundant energy resources, a massive application market, and strong capabilities in data center construction. Europe lacks homegrown giants capable of matching NVIDIA or leading Chinese AI firms. Its computing power, large-scale models, and chip industry chains are all relatively weak, resulting in continued reliance on external technology. The EU fears being locked into dependency, where foreign powers could cut off computing power or chip services at critical moments, using technology as leverage to restrict Europe—rendering so-called 'technological sovereignty' meaningless.

Beyond industrial competition, Europe faces real security and economic concerns. AI is reshaping manufacturing, scientific research, and defense. Falling behind risks the loss of high-end industries and jobs. Meanwhile, growing transatlantic tensions and geopolitical friction make Europe reluctant to hand over its digital lifelines entirely to other nations. This €10 billion investment to build AI super-factories is an attempt to rapidly close the computing power gap. However, the challenges are clear: while striving for autonomy, Europe still depends on American firms like NVIDIA and Qualcomm for core chip supplies, meaning the hardware lifeline remains firmly in U.S. hands. Even if computing capacity doubles in the short term, without indigenous large-scale models, AI talent, and a vibrant commercial ecosystem, these super-factories may simply turn into rental data centers—incapable of nurturing a domestic AI industry able to compete with U.S. and Chinese giants.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872228417897546/

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