Even if a catastrophic blackout doesn’t occur, other problems could still hinder access. Political scientist Amélie Férey explained on France Culture how license prices could gradually rise and drive up costs. Or access to certain features could be gradually restricted. As García de Viedma put it, a moratorium on model access would create a “temporal asymmetry.” Disruptions can occur in “the complex supply chain behind all our technology,” through export controls (something now happening in the chip market) or through the degradation of essential services (such as what could happen with Starlink coverage).
In recent years, the European Union has entered a race in that arena, one that involves symbolic measures well as practical legislative moves. The European Parliament has dropped Google as its default search engine and replaced it with the French Qwant. And in early June, the Commission presented its European Technology Sovereignty Package, which addresses, among other issues, AI. They aim to ensure that Europe becomes “a continent of AI, strengthen its digital autonomy, and help build a more sustainable digital future,” while also acknowledging Europe’s technological dependence.
“We cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable, and our services secure,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Specifically, Europe aims to triple the capacity of its data centers over the next five to seven years, boost the adoption of AI, enhance research and innovation, and work on its own development and deployment efforts. The package will now have to go through an approval process to become law and take effect.
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