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.”
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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 of AI — Artificial Superintelligence — is no longer a fringe concept but an inevitable reality requiring unprecedented investment in infrastructure, akin to laying down the tracks for the next Industrial Revolution,” he said.
Villalón added that the transition requires powerful new computing capacity. Stargate will bring a big dose of this to the US. European tech leaders have called for the continent to react
“Without large-scale capital commitments and a bold approach to AI infrastructure, Europe risks surrendering its future to global players who control the fuel of tomorrow,” Villalón said.
Europe’s AI worries
Villalón pointed to the example of his home country. He believes Spain has “immense potential” in renewables, but needs a major funding boost to remain globally competitive and strategically independent.
“Spain is spending peanuts on vacuous publicity AI projects, while ignoring, or not understanding, what’s needed — compute,” he said.
Similar anxieties have reverberated across Europe. Jan Marquardt, the CEO of German startup Zivee, warned that AI companies need strong infrastructure, big funding, and minimal regulation, “all of which is available in the USA — and not in Europe.” Christian Klein, the CEO of German tech SAP, added that Stargate should be “a wake-up call” for the continent.
Villalón shares their concerns.
“To use a football analogy, Europe is currently in the relegation zone while USA and China — with their budgets, quality and ambition — are operating in the Champions League,” he said.
