The European Commission announced on the 10th that it has officially launched a tender for the establishment of an artificial intelligence factory, aiming to enhance the EU's global competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence through the use of artificial intelligence factories. The European Commission released a statement on the same day, stating that the Commission proposed an artificial intelligence innovation plan in January this year, and the establishment of artificial intelligence factories is an important component of the plan. These artificial intelligence factories will be built around supercomputers belonging to the European High Performance Computing Consortium, and will be open to European users such as startups, various industries, and researchers in the future. Artificial intelligence factories will gather key elements required for the development of artificial intelligence, such as computing power, data, and talent. With the help of supercomputers belonging to the European High Performance Computing Consortium and providing services such as data access, computation, and storage, these artificial intelligence factories can assist developers in training large artificial intelligence models. These artificial intelligence factories will also be linked to the artificial intelligence initiatives of EU member states, jointly creating a vibrant artificial intelligence ecosystem. The establishment of artificial intelligence factories will promote the development and application of artificial intelligence technology in multiple industries in Europe, including healthcare, energy, automotive and transportation, defense and aerospace, robotics and manufacturing, clean technology and agricultural technology, etc. European Commission President von der Leyen said that Europe must strive to become a global leader in AI innovation. AI factories will help ensure that Europe is at the forefront of AI, a revolutionary technology. Margaret Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission responsible for digital policy and competition affairs, stated that artificial intelligence factories will help European small and medium-sized enterprises, scientists, and startups grow into innovators in the field of artificial intelligence by harnessing the enormous potential of Europe's independently developed supercomputers. According to the announcement, the bidding plan will receive nearly 1 billion euros in funding from the "Digital Europe" project and the "Horizon Europe" program, with EU member states providing equal financial support. Rolling bidding will continue until December 31, 2025, with the first deadline being November 4 of this year. As long as the funds are in place, a deadline will be set every three months thereafter. (New Society)