Von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa spoke at a joint press conference after the informal EU Leaders Summit held in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.
Stating that the leaders discussed the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence with the participation of Mistral Chief Executive (CEO) Arthur Mensch and Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, von der Leyen emphasized that this technology will shape the coming decades.
Artificial intelligence milestone
Von der Leyen said, "Every generation faces a technological turning point that shapes the coming decades. This turning point for our generation is artificial intelligence. It is imperative that Europe takes the right steps on this issue." he said.
Reminding that Europe has world-class industrial establishments, a deep-rooted production tradition, strong scientific expertise and a large amount of valuable industrial data, von der Leyen stated that these strengths should be transformed into global leadership.
Von der Leyen pointed out that her priorities are the rapid and widespread use of artificial intelligence, strengthening technological capacity and independence, and determining clear rules that will create trust.
Stating that an average of 37 percent of businesses in the EU use artificial intelligence, von der Leyen said that they want to move artificial intelligence "from the screen to the real world."
Von der Leyen stated that they are focusing on the sectors where artificial intelligence can create the most value and impact, and that they will announce the first part of their work, which includes concrete steps, within two weeks.
Emphasizing that Europe needs large-scale computing capacity, von der Leyen explained that researchers and startups can access supercomputer infrastructure through 19 artificial intelligence factories across Europe.
Stating that they are expanding this infrastructure with artificial intelligence gigafactories, Von der Leyen said, "There are currently 7 artificial intelligence gigafactories in the planning phase and we can mobilize a resource of approximately 30 billion euros for these facilities." he said.
Pointing out that more processing capacity is of key importance in the development of Europe's artificial intelligence models, von der Leyen said, "The goals I mentioned regarding artificial intelligence require huge investments. According to our estimates, an investment of at least 500 billion euros is needed." he said.
Stating that Europe creates a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, but many companies cannot find the support necessary to grow, von der Leyen stated that they established the Scaleup Europe Fund for this reason.
Von der Leyen emphasized the importance of completing the Savings and Investment Union and attracting private investments, pointing out that the gap in large investments in chips, computing capacity and cutting-edge artificial intelligence models must be addressed.
Stating that the EU's next long-term budget should also reflect this goal, von der Leyen stated that she saw a common will in the leaders to finance technological independence and that she would present an ambitious proposal at the next meeting.
First comprehensive AI assessment from EU leaders
EU Council President Costa also stated that the leaders held their first comprehensive meeting on artificial intelligence and emphasized that artificial intelligence is the most important technology of the age.
Stating that Europe should benefit from artificial intelligence in various fields, from increasing productivity to improving public services, Costa stated that risks should also be managed effectively.
Costa explained that in order to ensure strategic autonomy, Europe must become a leading and independent actor in critical areas of the artificial intelligence value chain.
Pointing out that Europe needs to mobilize public and private sector investments to develop its own competitive artificial intelligence models, Costa stated that significant additional financing is required to catch up with global competitors.
Costa stated that the EU's next long-term budget and the new European Competitiveness Fund will play a decisive role.
Stating that clear control mechanisms to manage risks in artificial intelligence are a prerequisite for public trust, Costa said: "Without trust, the artificial intelligence strategy cannot be successful." he said.
Stating that the EU can use its experience in artificial intelligence governance to shape global standards, Costa said that the Union should be active in discussions within the G7, G20 and the United Nations (UN).
Noting that the effects of artificial intelligence on the labor market and the sustainability of Europe's social model should also be evaluated, Costa added that artificial intelligence will be discussed again at the EU Leaders Summit on February 5.
