Trump AI plan exposes threat of Europe ‘surrendering’ to big tech

Donald Trump’s big AI announcement has turned heads on both sides of the Atlantic.

Trump revealed this week that OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle have formed a joint venture — called Stargate — that will invest $500bn in AI infrastructure. The companies said $100bn of the funding was available immediately. The rest would be deployed over the next four years.

Trump billed Stargate as “the largest AI infrastructure project by far in history.” He added that the project would ensure “the future of technology” is in the US.

Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, had another bold prediction. He said the venture would drive  “artificial superintelligence.”

European tech leaders echoed the sentiment — but fear that the continent will become beholden to American power.

David Villalón, the CEO and co-founder of Spanish AI startup Maisa, exemplified this blend of excitement and alarm.

“This massive investment shows that the next stage in the growth ...