Europe's AI Sovereignty: IONOS Solution

Europe's AI Sovereignty: A Strategic Shift

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a pivotal technology, comparable to the internet in the 1990s. However, the AI landscape is currently dominated by US and Chinese tech giants, which control the norms, infrastructure, and conditions. This dominance raises concerns about data privacy, legal frameworks, and alignment with European standards. European organizations have long relied on these foreign platforms, but growing geopolitical tensions and stricter data regulations are making this reliance increasingly risky.

The US CLOUD Act, for instance, allows US authorities to access data stored by US providers, even within European data centers. Additionally, the EU's AI Act requires AI systems to be transparent, understandable, and GDPR compliant, posing a significant challenge for many US-based systems. Achim Weiß, CEO of IONOS, emphasizes the importance of controlling basic technologies like AI to maintain sovereignty.

IONOS AI Model Hub: A European Solution

IONOS, a leading European cloud provider, has introduced the IONOS AI Model Hub, a robust platform for generative AI. This platform is fully GDPR compliant, developed and operated within Germany, and offers complete transparency. It utilizes well-known open-source models like Llama 3.3, Mistral, and Teuken-7B. Unlike proprietary US AI systems, the IONOS AI Model Hub ensures no hidden data transfers to other countries and prevents access by US intelligence agencies.

Oliver Hessel, an AI expert at IONOS, highlights the critical role of infrastructure in data sovereignty. The platform does not use user data for model training, providing total transparency and control. This approach contrasts sharply with the opaque nature of many US AI systems.

Partnership with Nextcloud

IONOS has partnered with Nextcloud, a popular open-source collaboration platform in Europe, to simplify access to secure AI. The AI Model Hub integrates directly into the Nextcloud user interface, enabling organizations, educational bodies, and public authorities to utilize image, translation, and text processing capabilities without compromising data protection. This combination of open-source technology, European infrastructure, and security certifications marks a significant advancement in the AI field.

The integration allows users to leverage AI capabilities while maintaining full visibility into data usage. This partnership aims to make IONOS the preferred choice for those looking to implement AI securely, strategically, and responsibly.

IONOS GPT: A European Alternative

IONOS is introducing IONOS GPT, a European alternative to ChatGPT, built upon the IONOS AI Model Hub and operated and developed in Germany. This platform can process code, text, images, and research, tailored for specific business applications, all while upholding political independence and data protection. This represents a major advancement, enabling companies to leverage generative AI without the strategic dependencies and legal uncertainties associated with US providers.

The IONOS AI Model Hub and IONOS GPT demonstrate Europe's ability to compete technologically and lead ethically. IONOS provides full sovereignty, traceability, and openness, contrasting with vendor lock-in and black-box algorithms. It is designed for Europe's economic, legal, and social needs and offers a price-performance ratio that is up to 50% more affordable than US hyperscalers, eliminating sudden price increases, licensing complexities, and hidden expenses.

Free webinar: Build cloud infrastructure – secure and sovereign for the future. Contributed by IONOS.