A Million-Euro Leap into AI
In a bold announcement made on September 26, French telecommunications giant Iliad revealed its ambitious plans to invest a staggering €100 million (or approximately $106 million) to establish an “excellence lab” dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) research in Paris. Not your average coffee shop, this lab promises to brew up some serious AI innovation!
Meet the Brain Trust
At the helm of this project is Iliad’s chairman, Xavier Niel, who’s not only bringing the money but also assembling a team of esteemed researchers. Niel emphasizes that France needs a robust ecosystem to nurture AI technologies, and this lab is a crucial piece of the puzzle. He aims to make AI accessible to everyone, or as he puts it, “bring it to everyone’s reach”—possibly in your next Uber ride!
Supercomputer Supremacy
In addition to the research lab, Iliad has added another feather to its cap with the acquisition of the most powerful cloud-native AI supercomputer in Europe—the Nvidia DGX SuperPOD. Situated in the company’s Datacenter 5 near Paris, this beast is equipped with Nvidia DGX H100 systems and is touted to produce the raw power necessary to train large language models (LLMs). You might as well call it “HAL 9000,” but hopefully without the mood swings.
The Need for Speed—Processing Speed, That Is!
Niel didn’t mince words when discussing the importance of supercomputers in the AI market. He stated, “To have clout in the AI market, you need computing power. To have computing power, you need supercomputers. And to have supercomputers, you need to invest—massively!” It sounds a bit like the tech version of “if you build it, they will come.”
A Suite of AI Tools for Europe
Moreover, Iliad’s subsidiary, Scaleway, is stepping up to the plate by planning to offer clients a comprehensive suite of cloud-native AI tools. With these innovations, Scaleway aims to empower European companies to significantly enhance their AI game and compete on the global stage. As CEO Damien Lucas confidently stated, the tools will allow firms to train models of various sizes—think everything from your everyday calculator to a mini supercomputer in your pocket!
Collaboration on the Horizon
This significant investment comes at an opportune time, following the European Commission’s recent announcement to facilitate AI startups in gaining accelerated access to supercomputers across Europe. It seems like the stars are aligning for innovative AI ventures. In short, buckle up, folks, because the future of AI in France is looking brighter than a freshly polished tech gadget!
