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Accelerating public and private investments in AI
Public and private investments in AI will be accelerated, leveraging on EU funding programmes, mainly Digital Europe, Horizon Europe and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
The Commission proposed that the Union invest in AI at least 1 billion euros per year from Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programmes under the programming period 2021-2027.
The objective is to gradually increase public and private investment in AI to a total of 20 billion euros per year over the course of this decade.
Creating an AI lighthouse for Europe
Member States are encouraged to facilitate cooperation and create a system of regional AI networks.
In addition, the Commission will set up, starting in 2021 an AI lighthouse for Europe. “The AI lighthouse will build on the existing and future Networks of AI excellence centres, with the aim to build an alliance of strong European research organisations that will share a common roadmap to support excellence in basic and applied research, to align national AI efforts, to foster innovation and investments, to attract and retain AI talent in Europe, and to create synergies and economies of scale.”
The AI lighthouse will bring together leading players from research, universities and industry in Europe. The objective is to stimulate healthy competition in Europe rather than fragmentation of the AI community.
The AI lighthouse should become a world reference in AI.
Working on AI components, including processors
The EU also wants to invest in AI hardware to increase performance and energy efficiency of processors. The European Commission observes that “AI uptake requires access to dedicated low-power AI processors”. The Commission aims to consolidate the EU’s position in the design and production capabilities of advanced chips.
An Industrial Alliance on Microelectronics will be established. In addition, a Testing and Experimentation Facility -supported by Digital Europe- will be dedicated to edge AI components and systems (call launch in Q2 2021).
The European Commission also wants to institutionalise a European Partnership on Key Digital Technologies. Among other things, this Partnership will reinforce Europe’s processors and semiconductor technologies’ ecosystem.
Stimulating data sharing
The Commission will adopt a proposal for a Data Act to stimulate the use of privately-held data by government and address use in business-to-business settings (Q3 2021).
The Commission will also invest in European data spaces and the European cloud federation.
Additionally, the Commission will establish a co-programmed European partnership on AI, Data and Robotics to foster research. This will be complemented by a European Alliance for industrial data, edge and cloud to mobilise private and public actors.
Speeding up the take up of AI
European Digital Innovation Hubs are entities supported by the Digital Europe programme. Their goal is to encourage companies to use new technologies, including AI.
The EU and the Member States will invest 1,5 billion euros to set up a network of around 200 hubs across European regions. The European Commission and Member States will select these hubs during 2021-2022. There should be at least one European Digital Innovation Hub with AI expertise in every Member State.
Adjusting liability laws
In 2022, the Commission will propose measures adapting the liability framework to the challenge of new technologies. This may include a revision of the Product Liability Directive and a legislative proposal regarding the liability for certain AI systems.
Focusing on 7 sectoral areas
In addition to the horizontal actions, the 2021 Coordinated Plan puts forward seven sectoral action areas:
-environment
-health
-robotics
-public sector
-mobility
-home affairs
-agriculture
In the field of home affairs: The EU will launch a call for a dedicated European security data space for law enforcement under the Digital Europe programme. This individual data space will fall under the broader data space for public administrations. In addition, the Commission will continue launching proofs of concept in 2021 for concrete use cases of AI in the field of regular border control, migration and police checks.
In the field of mobility: In 2021, the Commission will set out implementing acts for technical specifications for automated vehicles and fully automated vehicles, including safety issues linked to the use of AI and cybersecurity.
It is also worth mentioned that Appendix 2 (page 59) gives an interesting overview of the different national strategies on AI.
If you have any questions on these issues, please contact Camille Dornier - Policy Manager: camille.dornier@eurosmart.com
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