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On Wednesday 9 April 2025, the Representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg issued a press release detailing the new "AI Content Action Plan", as announced by the European Commission.

The AI Continent Action Plan aims to strengthen the European Union's innovation capacity in artificial intelligence (AI) through actions and policies structured around five key pillars:

1. Building a large-scale AI data and computing infrastructure

The Commission will strengthen Europe's AI and supercomputing infrastructure through a network of AI ​​Factories - thirteen are already being deployed around Europe's supercomputers. This network will support EU startups, industry and researchers in developing AI models and applications.

As announced in the Competitiveness Compass, the EU will also help set up AI Gigafactories. These are large-scale facilities equipped with approximately 100,000 cutting-edge AI chips, four times more than current AI factories. They will integrate massive computing power and data centres to train and develop complex AI models on a very large scale. The Commission published a call for expression of interest for interested consortia on Wednesday.

Private investment in Gigafactories will be stimulated through InvestAI, which aims to mobilise €20 billion investment for up to five AI Gigafactories across the EU. To stimulate private sector investment in cloud capacity and data centres, the Commission will also propose a Cloud and AI Development Act. The goal is to at least triple the EU's data centre capacity in the next five to seven years, prioritising highly sustainable data centres.

2. Improving access to large and high-quality data

An important element of the action plan is the creation of Data Labs, bringing together and curating large, high-quality data volumes from different sources in AI Factories. A comprehensive Data Union Strategy will be launched in 2025 to create a true internal market for data that can scale up AI solutions.

3. Developing algorithms and fostering AI adoption in strategic EU sectors

To develop tailored AI solutions, boost their industrial use and ensure their full adoption in the EU's strategic public and private sectors, the Commission will launch the Apply AI ​​Strategy in the coming months. European AI innovation infrastructure will play an important role in this strategy.

4. Strengthening AI skills and talent

To meet the growing demand for AI talent, the Commission will facilitate the international recruitment of highly skilled AI experts and researchers. The Commission will also develop educational and training programmes on AI and Generative AI in key sectors, preparing the next generation of AI specialists and supporting the upskilling and reskilling of workers.

5. Regulatory Simplification

The Commission noted that the AI Act has increased citizens' trust in technology and provided investors and entrepreneurs with the legal certainty they need to scale up and deploy AI across Europe. The Commission will also launch the AI ​​Act Service Desk to help businesses comply with AI legislation. It will serve as a central contact point and a hub for information and guidance on the AI Act.

Next Steps

With this action plan, the Commission has opened two public consultations (one linked to the Cloud and AI Development Act, the other on Apply AI), which will run until 4 June 2025. Their aim is to further develop these initiatives. A third public consultation on the Data Union Strategy will be launched in May 2025.

In parallel, the Commission will organise dialogues with industry and public sector representatives to further shape the Apply AI ​​Strategy.