Nvidia Partners with Mistral to Build Sovereign AI, Make Europe Less Dependent on US Tech
Europe is expanding its investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure with a growing partnership with Nvidia to reduce its dependence on US tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
The move comes after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's whirlwind tour of London, Paris, and Berlin, where he announced a series of AI projects designed to be more relevant to European demands. The core of his message was "sovereign AI"—the "belief that every country should develop its own systems based on its own language, culture, and values.
"We are going to invest billions here," Mr. Huang said during his stop in Paris. "Europe needs to move into AI quickly." His comments reflect heightened unease among European leaders about outside control over essential technologies.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced an investment of $1.35 billion to beef up the U.K.'s computing ability.
Amid the inevitable flurry of announcements, AI infrastructure received new attention from French President Emmanuel Macron, who, in his keynote at VivaTech 2025, declared it a national priority. Germany also entered the fray, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressing support after Nvidia confirmed that it will establish a regional AI cloud platform in conjunction with Deutsche Telekom.
Currently, most of Europe's cloud services are operated by U.S.-based companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. However, French AI firm Mistral, in collaboration with Nvidia, plans to change this landscape. Their first joint project involves a data center in France powered by 18,000 Nvidia GPUs, with further expansion scheduled for 2026.
The European Commission has also stepped in, allocating $20 billion to build four AI "gigafactories" across the continent. According to EU officials, Nvidia is expected to support these facilities with direct chip production inside Europe, a move seen as critical to regional self-sufficiency in AI infrastructure.
However, achieving self-dependency in AI will not be easy, as energy demand from AI-powered data centers continues to rise. These facilities currently account for 3% of the EU's electricity consumption, a figure expected to increase significantly in the coming decade.
Despite investments that are far smaller than the $10–15 billion quarterly spending seen by American tech giants, European firms like Mistral continue to advance ambitious AI goals. "There's no reason why Europe couldn't have its own tech champions," said Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch on a panel at VivaTech 2025, where he appeared alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
31 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Trump, Starmer say US-UK trade deal finalised, World News
KANANASKIS, Alberta — US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday (June 16) said they had finalised a trade deal reached between the two allies last month. Trump, standing alongside Starmer at the Group of Seven summit in Canada, said the relationship with Britain was "just fantastic," as he waved, and briefly dropped, a document which he said he had just signed. "We signed it and it's done," he said. Starmer said the proclamation would implement agreements reached on auto tariffs and aerospace, without providing any details. [[nid:719154]]
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
US official says Trump not signing G7 statement on Israel-Iran de-escalation, World News
CALGARY, Alberta — A US official said on Monday (June 16) that President Donald Trump would not sign a draft statement from Group of Seven leaders calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. The draft statement, seen by Reuters, also commits to safeguarding market stability, including energy markets, says Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, and that Israel has the right to defend itself. Canadian and European diplomats said G7 attendees are continuing discussions on the conflict at the summit in Canada, which ends on Tuesday. [[nid:719159]]
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Iranian state broadcaster hit as Iran urges Trump to make Israel halt war, World News
TEL AVIV/DUBAI — An Israeli strike hit Iran's state broadcaster on Monday (June 16) while the head of the UN nuclear watchdog indicated extensive damage to Iran's biggest uranium enrichment plant and Iran called on the US to force a ceasefire in the aerial war. Late on Monday, Israel said it hit Iran's broadcasting authority, and footage showed a newsreader hurrying from her seat as a blast struck. Israel's military said the building also served as a communications centre used by Iran's armed forces. The conflict entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with air raid sirens sounding in Tel Aviv shortly after midnight as Iran launched additional missiles toward Israel. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told four European counterparts that Iran was serious about diplomacy but its current focus was on confronting aggression, Iranian state media reported. Israel has said its goal is to eliminate Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran says more than 224 Iranians have been killed, most of them civilians. Israel says 24 people have been killed, all of them civilians. Sources told Reuters that Tehran had asked Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to press US President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push for an immediate ceasefire. In return, Iran would show flexibility in nuclear negotiations, said the two Iranian and three regional sources. "If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential," Araqchi said on X. "Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue. It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu." Asked if he would agree to talks should Trump want that, Netanyahu told reporters that Israel was committed to removing the threats of both nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. "If this can be achieved in another way — fine. But we gave it a 60-day chance," Netanyahu said. Speaking to Reuters on Friday, the first day of Israel's assault, Trump said he had given the Iranians 60 days to come to an agreement to halt uranium enrichment and that the time had expired with no deal. Talks between the United States and Iran, hosted by Oman, had been scheduled for Sunday but were scrapped, with Tehran saying it could not negotiate while under attack. Iranian media said Iran was preparing for the "largest and most intense missile attack" yet against Israel, including against military and intelligence targets. Natanz damage Israel launched its air war with a surprise attack that killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran's military commanders and its leading nuclear scientists. It says it now has control of Iranian airspace and intends to escalate the campaign in coming days. Israel said it hit Iranian F-14 fighter planes at Tehran airport on Monday, and its airstrikes have also put at least two of Iran's three operating uranium enrichment plants out of action. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the BBC on Monday it was very likely all the roughly 15,000 centrifuges operating at Iran's biggest uranium enrichment plant at Natanz were badly damaged or destroyed because of a power cut caused by an Israeli strike. There had been very limited or no damage at the separate Fordow plant, he said. Tehran for the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict fired missiles from Iran that pierced Israeli defences in significant numbers and killed Israelis in their homes. Round-the-clock television images showed Israeli rescuers working in ruins of flattened homes. Almost 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since Iranian strikes began, leaving 24 buildings slated for demolition, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told reporters. Iranian state TV broadcast scenes of collapsed presidential buildings, burned-out cars, and shattered streets in Tehran. Many residents were trying to flee the capital, describing queues for petrol and bank machines that were out of cash. "I am desperate. My two children are scared and cannot sleep at night because of the sound of air defence and attacks, explosions. But we have nowhere to go. We hid under our dining table," Gholamreza Mohammadi, 48, a civil servant, told Reuters by phone from Tehran. Trump has consistently said the Israeli assault could end quickly if Iran agrees to US demands that it accept strict curbs to its nuclear programme. "As I've been saying, I think a deal will be signed, or something will happen, but a deal will be signed, and I think Iran is foolish not to sign," Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. "I think Iran is basically at the negotiating table," he said without elaborating. On Monday, Iranian lawmakers floated the idea of quitting the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, a move bound to be seen as a setback for any negotiations. Iran has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful, although the IAEA declared last week that Tehran was in violation of its obligations. 'Paying the price' Before dawn on Monday, Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv and Haifa, killing at least eight people and destroying homes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defence systems to target each other so missiles could get through. Israel's Haifa-based Bazan energy group said its power station had been significantly damaged in an attack that killed three employees and forced its refinery facilities to shut down. Oil prices slipped US$1 (S$1.28) per barrel on Monday in volatile trading after reports that Iran is seeking an end to hostilities, raising the possibility of a truce and easing fears of a disruption to regional crude supplies. The sudden killing of so many Iranian military commanders and the apparent loss of control of airspace could prove to be the biggest test of Iran's system of clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. [[nid:719150]]
