09 Apr 2025
Commission launches AI Continent Action Plan
On 9 April 2024, the European Commission announced the launch of its AI Continent Action Plan, an initiative aimed at making Europe a global frontrunner in artificial intelligence (AI). As set out by President Ursula von der Leyen at the AI Action Summit in Paris this February, the Plan promises to harness Europe's robust industrial base and talent pool to drive AI innovation across the bloc.
The roadmap sets out five key pillars to elevate the EU's AI capabilities:
- AI Infrastructure Expansion: The EU will scale up its supercomputing infrastructure by establishing AI Factories, with 13 already in development, and pioneering AI Gigafactories equipped with 100,000 state-of-the-art AI chips. These advances will cement Europe’s position at the forefront of AI model development.
- Boosting Data Access: A Data Union Strategy, launching later this year, aims to curate vast quantities of high-quality data and create Data Labs in AI Factories to accelerate innovation.
- Driving AI Adoption: Despite its transformative potential, only 13.5% of EU companies currently use AI. The upcoming Apply AI Strategy will encourage industrial usage and foster AI uptake in public and private sectors.
- Strengthening AI Skills: Recruitment initiatives, training programmes, and the establishment of an AI Skills Academy will tackle Europe’s talent shortage.
- Simplifying Regulations: A new AI Act Service Desk will guide businesses in navigating compliance with the EU’s AI Act.
The Plan also calls for €20 billion in private investment and aims to triple Europe’s data centre capacity by 2032. Public consultations and industry dialogues launched on the same day will help refine these strategies.
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