Europe launches new AI initiative to begin catch-up mission

This month has seen the launch of the European Commission’s AI4EU project, an initiative to create an AI-on-demand platform for Europe and challenge for leadership in this blossoming segment.

Having been agreed during December, the AI4EU project already has 79 partners in 21 countries across the bloc, firstly focusing on developing eight industry-driven AI pilots which will demonstrate the value of the AI-on-demand platform as a technological innovation tool. Led by Thales, the group will receive €20 million in funding to begin with.

“The European Commission has published its coordinated plan on artificial intelligence, as well as new guidelines on how to deal with the ethical issues relating to AI,” said Roberto Viola, the Director General of DG Connect at the European Commission, in a recent blog post. “Both put humans firmly at the centre of this key technology that has the potential to revolutionise all our lives.”

Looking at the specific work-groups, the first eight will focus on the European citizen, robotics, industry, healthcare, media, agriculture, IOT and cybersecurity, with the work being built on the idea of ‘human centred AI’. As part of AI4EU, an Ethics Observatory will be established to ensure the respect of human centred AI values.

The power and potential of artificial intelligence has certainly been a talking point over recent months, as dreams become reality and new products emerge. Every region around the world is attempting to plant its flag and dominate the area, with AI4EU as the European effort. While the initiative will aim to encourage industry collaboration, it will also draw out a strategic agenda and also aim to fill technology gaps which might emerge should a fragmented approach to development arise.

While this is certainly a good start, the European Commission certainly has some work to do to make sure the bloc isn’t left behind as Silicon Valley and China charge ahead. That said, it does look like AI will get the rightful attention it deserves over the coming years.

“The EU has been supporting artificial intelligence for many years, and for the next seven-year EU budget period, which is due to start in 2021, AI and the wider digital economy will play an even more central role: a new funding programme, Digital Europe, has been proposed, with €9.2 billion potentially available to support the further development of the EU’s digital single market, including €2.5 billion specifically to support AI,” said Viola.

“For all its ambition, the EU is still lagging behind other parts of the world when it comes to investing in AI. This is why the European Commission has already agreed to increase EU research funding for AI to €1.5 billion between now and 2020.”