The Dutch House of Representatives yesterday voted in favour of a motion submitted by Barbara Kathmann (Groenlinks/PvdA) to create an AI factory in the Netherlands.
The AI factory initiative is part of EuroHPC, a European Commission programme designed to contribute to the EU’s strategic autonomy in artificial intelligence.
European ambitions
Dirk Beljaarts (PVV), the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, is pleased with the result of the vote in favour of an AI facility, which is in line with the EU’s ambition to be an AI leader. On a message posted on LinkedIn, he describes how harnessing a supercomputer’s formidable processing speed is key to enabling innovative Dutch businesses and researchers to maximise the potential of AI applications. ‘The EU developed the initiative of AI facilities, known as “AI factories”, to give these Dutch stakeholders access to the technology on their own turf.’ In an interview with the Dutch current affairs programme EenVandaag, Beljaarts (PVV) set out why he is committed to establishing an AI factory in the Netherlands.
Time to step up
If plans to build a Dutch AI factory go ahead, Beljaarts believes that the ideas that emerge in the Netherlands could continue to be developed in the country. He writes that it’s time to step up. The urgency of the matter was once again made clear by Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday of a joint venture named ‘Stargate’, uniting the US tech companies OpenAI and Oracle and Japanese SoftBank. The venture will invest at least 500 billion dollars to build AI computing infrastructure, including large data centres and power plants.
AI/Data Action Agenda
Together with SURF, TNO and AIC4NL, Topsector ICT has been in extended talks with the Ministry of Economic Affairs about the possible construction of an AI factory. ‘We want this ambition to be part of the Action Agenda for AI/Data,’ says Frits Grotenhuis, director of Topsector ICT.