Germany Doubles Funding for AI In Bid To Compete With China

In a move to position itself as a leader in Artificial Intelligence research, Germany has announced plans to nearly double public funding for AI research to nearly one billion euros over the next two years. This impressive target is modest, however, when compared to the $3.3 billion that the US government spent on AI research in 2022.

Germany is intent on becoming a leader in AI research and has outlined an ambitious plan to achieve this goal.  Germany is setting up 150 new university labs while expanding data centers and making public data sets easily accessible for AI techniques.

Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger said: “We have AI that is explainable, trustworthy and transparent. That’s a competitive advantage.”

Read more: German Authors, Trade Groups Call For Tougher AI ChatGPT Regulations

Despite Germany’s broad goals, their total spending is dwarfed by private AI spending in the U.S., which reached $47.4 billion in 2022, almost double of Europe’s total spending. In addition, their spending is way ahead of China’s $13.4 billion.

However, Germany has plans to increase their own AI start-up scene. In 2023, the number of AI startups in Germany doubled – making it ninth on the global list. Nevertheless, Germany lacks the tech behemoths that other countries (such as the U.S.) have.

Germany takes pride in their focus on privacy and personal safety which means that they will be a top competitor in the European AI scene. The goal is high and the plan is even higher – but with starling ambition and dedication to a high set of standards, Germany is ready to dominate the AI market.

Source: Reuters