Germany intends to considerably increase public spending in artificial intelligence research as the world competes for technological supremacy. The European Union government is also exploring regional collaboration, believing it will leverage its increased spending to help it gain greater authority. The research plan is to meet the increased AI deployment in modern industries, including the thriving local gaming market. Click here to learn more about recent developments in the online casino industry.
Increasing Public Funding for AI
In August 2023, Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger announced plans to invest over €500 million in AI research and innovation in 2024. According to the minister, Germany will nearly treble its public financing for artificial intelligence research over the next two years to about a billion euros. In 2022, the overall budget for AI research was already at the €200 million mark. The funding will now be used to pursue a multifaceted objective: Germany will construct 150 university laboratories, improve its data center capacity, and gain simple access to critical data for AI algorithm training. Germany’s desire to spend more on AI is motivated by a desire to compete with the United States and China in this technical arena. Germany is predicted to have 1600 AI startups, most of which emerged in 2023. However, it still lags well behind the global industry leaders, ranking seventh internationally.
Investing in the Long Run Through Collaboration
Germany’s research minister believes that the country requires the combined efforts of other countries, particularly in light of global competition. To that end, Germany seeks regional collaboration, with the European Union (EU) as the focal point of AI-related engagement. When announcing the proposal, Stark-Watzinger stated, “The goal is now for Germany and Europe to take a leading global position in an AI-powered world.” Germany is already collaborating with other EU countries, particularly France and Scandinavia, to further its AI objectives. According to Stark-Watzinger, the new AI Action Plan is the ideal route to technical sovereignty. It will also assist in avoiding reliance on other jurisdictions in this sector.
AI Expansion’s Challenges
Although respectable, Stark-Watzinger’s theoretical viewpoints are nonetheless vulnerable to some level of skepticism in the real world. Stark-Watzinger desires that efforts be put toward regulation, which she believes will aid in achieving trust and transparency as a competitive advantage. However, companies feel the laws are already too stringent, which is unhelpful. According to Bitcom, a German digital economy association, AI breakthroughs may not benefit the economy as a whole. Germany had significant difficulty in translating scientific discoveries into industrial applications. There is absolute proof of this issue, given that the country launched an AI plan in 2018, but execution has been delayed. The German AI Association, representing over 400 enterprises, argues that more significant incentives should be created to encourage the use of discoveries in the real world.
Recap
Germany is on an AI expansion spree, and its desire to increase research funding shows a steadfast belief in the emerging technology. However, previous delays and developing challenges underline the huge difficulty that the strategy has in becoming a worldwide AI leader. For more significant investment to be effective, the government must implement an appropriate regulatory framework and lay a solid foundation for future development. This involves improving the business climate for associated sectors, such as the booming gaming industry.
