EU takes a page from Ireland’s AI playbook

Europe has about 5% of the world's data center capacity, while the United States has about 75% and China about 15%.(AFP) — The European Union wants to catch up in the artificial intelligence race by taking a cue from Ireland, an early adopter of the technology that has rolled out the red carpet for data centers despite local opposition.Ireland showcased the role it aims to play in the technological revolution as it hosted an international AI summit in Dublin on Wednesday.While the EU is pushing for strong governance to limit the risks of AI becoming too powerful to control, the bloc also believes it must invest in the technology and tap its potential to avoid falling further behind the United States and China.“We need to make AI real for our competitiveness and for our industries,” EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen told the conference, attended by leading AI researchers and executives, including Google DeepMind Chair Demis Hassabis and Microsoft President Brad Smith.About 20% of companies in the 27-country bloc used AI last year, with the adoption rate rising to 55% for the biggest businesses — figures the EU wants to see increase.Most still use AI for relatively simple tasks, research shows.Europe has about 5% of the world’s data center capacity, while the United States has about 75% and China about 15%, according to Andrea Renda, director of research at the CEPS think tank.The EU wants to increase its capacity and is pouring billions of euros into so-called gigafactories made up of advanced AI processors and energy-efficient data centers for companies and research labs.But that might not be enough.“If you only build data-centre capacity, you have not done much,” Renda told AFP, calling for “political leadership” to help “identify the roadblocks, the obstacles and the enablers of this transformation.”The EU insists it is working on several fronts, mobilizing funds from various existing programs and appointing a Siemens executive to push manufacturers to integrate the technology under a strategy called Apply AI.But Renda said the strategy had “zero” dedicated funding, warning that without “bold intervention, we are not going to be able to do this.”Ireland, already home to many U.S. technology giants because of its low-tax policies and favorable location, wants to help drive the momentum in Europe.‘Recognise the human impact of AI’“We have been to the forefront of every tech wave over recent decades, and we will be to the forefront of this one,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told the summit.Yet while it boasts one of the highest adoption rates in the bloc, Ireland also shows some of the pitfalls of Europe’s AI push.Its heavy reliance on U.S. giants runs counter to the EU’s sovereignty efforts, and the rapid expansion of data centers is putting Irish infrastructure under increasing strain, especially its power grid, fueling local opposition.The Central Statistics Office says data centers accounted for 23% of the country’s electricity consumption last year — as much as all Irish households combined.“A world record,” said Patrick Bresnihan, a researcher at Maynooth University.During a “counter-summit” held a few days before Wednesday’s gathering, he said the centers employed just 3,300 people in total.“Particularly in Ireland, I would say that we need a moratorium. So we need to press pause on data centre development,” he said, to give policymakers space “to think about what a more progressive green industrial strategy would look like.”Neil Bennett, a former technology worker attending the protest event, urged Irish leaders and senior officials “to recognise the human impact of AI on workers in Ireland.”The former translator has been deeply affected by AI. After losing his job because of the technology, he described crossing “to the dark side” to work as a data operator.But he soon became disillusioned when his new job was replaced — by AI.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads