Digital summit in Berlin: Merz calls for more digital sovereignty

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for more speed in Germany and Europe in the international AI competition. “We can and I think we must become much faster and better in Germany and Europe at developing digital technologies and actually using them,” said Merz at the Federal Government’s digital summit in Berlin. “We have to, we want to be leaders.”

He announced a double strategy: In the short term, the development of industrially usable AI models should be promoted in order to ensure the competitiveness of companies. At the same time, research on AI models of the future, for example in the area of ​​physical AI, is being advanced.

The aim is to reduce technological dependencies - on the tech giants in the USA and China. Merz relies on international cooperation, for example with France and Canada, to share knowledge and diversify supply chains.

However, he also warned that the development of artificial intelligence must be based on human values. He therefore spoke out in favor of a technology policy that must be implemented “in accordance with our values ​​and security interests”.

At the two-day conference, government representatives, experts and tech entrepreneurs from various countries will discuss the opportunities, risks and effects of AI. According to the federal government's expectations, the next year and a half will decide whether Germany keeps up in the international AI competition.

That's why an AI task force led by the Digital Ministry was set up by the Federal Government's National Security Council in the summer. Your paper sets the goal of making Germany an “AI nation” by 2030, and numerous targets are set so that Germany can be at the forefront.

By 2030, at least 80 percent of large companies and 55 percent of small and medium-sized companies should use AI, the number of AI start-ups should triple, and the share of economic output generated using AI should be more than ten percent.

But according to the experts, time is of the essence: “Despite a strong starting position, especially in research,” Germany is in danger of ending up in a situation in which the gap to the leading AI locations in the USA and China is constantly increasing.

“The window of opportunity to reduce this gap is soon closing,” says the AI ​​task force’s final report, which was presented at the digital summit. The next twelve to eighteen months are crucial for setting the course.