EU Commission: Strategy to promote AI technology

Artificial Intelligence EU Commission Wants to Remove Hurdles for AI Deployment

2025-04-10 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

The EU Commission wants to remove barriers to the use of artificial intelligence, thereby better preparing Europe's companies for global competition. The AI Federal Association reacts to this with little enthusiasm.

When presenting its new AI strategy, the Brussels authority announced plans to simplify rules, promote investments, and significantly expand the development of its own data centers.(Image: freely licensed / Pixabay) — When presenting its new AI strategy, the Brussels authority announced plans to simplify rules, promote investments, and significantly expand the development of its own data centers.
(Image: freely licensed / Pixabay)

The plan is likely also a response to criticism from the tech industry that European regulations like the AI Act, the so-called AI Act, are too bureaucratic and hinder innovation. The Commission intends to specifically ask companies for feedback on where rules are unclear or obstructive. The goal is to better align regulations with rapid technological development without compromising safety and ethical standards.

Supercenters for Europe's digital sovereignty

A focus of the new strategy is on infrastructure. The Commission wants to significantly advance Europe's data centers in the coming years and is calling on member states to apply for the construction of so-called "AI gigafactories." These supercenters are intended to be capable of training particularly powerful AI models. The idea was already announced at the beginning of the year—now the application process is starting. A total of $21.6 billion USD in investments is to be mobilized for this.

According to the Brussels authority, currently only 13.5 percent of companies in Europe use AI technologies. The Commission aims to significantly increase this proportion and make Europe a leading location for powerful but responsibly used AI. So far, the EU has lagged behind compared to countries like China and the USA.

Acting Digital Minister Volker Wissing welcomed the plan as an important step for Europe's technological independence. At the same time, he called for less bureaucracy and better investment conditions. The AI Federal Association expressed disappointment, describing it as a strategy with many announcements but little new substance. "The European AI industry does not need further announcements of already known measures and piecemeal individual strategies, but rather functioning funding and procurement procedures that can keep pace with the speed of technological development," said Chairman Jörg Bienert.

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