Description
Artificial Intelligence is a disruptive technology of our time with expected impacts that rival those of electricity or printing. Resources for innovation are currently dominated by giant tech companies in North America and China. To ensure European independence and leadership, it is important to invest wisely by bundling, connecting and opening European AI resources.
AI4EU sougth to efficiently build a comprehensive European AI-on-demand platform to lower barriers to innovation, to boost technology transfer and to catalyse the growth of start-ups and SMEs in all sectors through Open calls and other actions. The platform acted as a broker, developer and one-stop shop providing and showcasing services, expertise, algorithms, software frameworks, development tools, components, modules, data, computing resources, prototyping functions and access to funding. Training enabled different user communities (engineers, civic leaders, etc.) to obtain skills and certifications. The AI4EU Platform established a world reference that was built upon and interoperable with existing AI and data components (e.g., the Acumos open-source framework, QWT search engine..) and platforms. It mobilized the whole European AI ecosystem and united 80 partners in 21 countries, including researchers, innovators and related talents.
Eight industry-driven AI pilots demonstrated the value of the platform as an innovation tool. In order to enhance the platform, research on five key interconnected AI scientific areas were carried out using platform technologies a. The pilots and research showcased how AI4EU can stimulate scientific discovery and technological innovation. The AI4EU Ethical Observatory was established to ensure the respect for human-centred AI values and European regulations. Sustainability was ensured via the creation of the AI4EU Foundation. The results of the project fed into a new and comprehensive Strategic Research Innovation Agenda for Europe.
