Greetings from Cannes. While most attendees are focused on creativity, storytelling, and getting invites to the right parties, Europe is quietly rewriting the rules of tech power at a national level. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been crisscrossing the continent, making a compelling case for “sovereign AI,” which has been defined as localized AI models that reflect each country's unique language, culture and values.
European leaders are listening. French President Emmanuel Macron declared AI infrastructure “our fight for sovereignty” at VivaTech. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed digital independence while standing beside Nvidia’s announcement of a cloud platform with Deutsche Telekom. New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged more than a billion pounds to boost domestic computing power, determined for Britain to be an “AI maker, not an AI taker.”
Behind the policy speeches and funding pledges is a very clear business case: Nvidia wants to ensure that when Europe builds its own AI capabilities, it does so using Nvidia GPUs. It’s also a direct response to Europe’s growing discomfort with being dependent on a small number of U.S. tech giants.
Right now, France’s Mistral is partnering with Nvidia on a data centre powered by 18,000 cutting-edge chips. The EU has announced plans for four “AI gigafactories” with a $20 billion price tag, and the European Commission is in active talks with Nvidia about allocating chip supply for the effort.
Will sovereign AI close the gap with United States and Chinese hyperscalers? It's unlikely, but it may create a healthier, more resilient global ecosystem … if the EU doesn't sue itself (you know, out of habit).
Here in Cannes, there's a gentle sea, but the winds of change are blowing strong.
As always, your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. -s
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named he covers tech and business for , is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular . He's a , and the creator of the popular, free online course, . Follow or visit .
