The German government announced that it would nearly double its funding for artificial intelligence research. The money pledged towards the development of AI systems now amounts to nearly €1bn, which is still far behind the $3.3bn (€3.04bn) in public funding the US reportedly threw at the field last year.
The Federal Ministry for Education and Research said that AI is a key technology that offers enormous opportunities for science, growth, prosperity, competitiveness, and social added value. It further added that technological sovereignty in AI must be secured, and that Germany and Europe should take a leading position in a world powered by AI.”
This means that Germany on its own is drawing level with the funds pledged by the EU. The European Commission has also committed €1bn to AI research per year through the Horizon Europe program. Meanwhile, the Commissionstates that it will mobilise additional investments from both the private sector and the member states to reach an annual volume of €20bn.
The increased funding was presented along with Germany’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan by Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger.
With the funds, Germany is looking to set up 150 new university labs dedicated to researching artificial intelligence, expand data centres, and increase access to datasets for training advanced AI models. The goal is to then convert the research and skills to visible and measurable economic success and a concrete, noticeable benefit for society.
Additionally, the government says it hopes to show the unique selling point of AI Made in Germany (or Made in Europe). Stark-Watzinger said, “we have AI that is explainable, trustworthy and transparent. That’s a competitive advantage.”
Source: The Next Web
