Iliad to Invest $3.1 Billion in Enhancing AI Infrastructure in Europe

On February 7, French telecommunications company, Iliad, announced its plan to invest €3 billion ($3.10 billion) in AI infrastructure, focusing on data centers and computing power. The investment will be facilitated through its subsidiary OpCore, which manages the group's 13 data centers.

As preparation for the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Iliad disclosed that OpCore will initially deploy several hundred megawatts of capacity with a long-term goal of building multiple gigawatts of capacity across Europe.

Additionally, Iliad revealed a collaboration with Mistral AI in France to introduce Mistral AI's "le Chat pro" AI model to Iliad's 15.5 million French subscribers.

Despite Europe trailing behind the U.S. and China in AI development, initiatives like U.S. President Donald Trump's Stargate program, aiming to invest up to $500 billion over the next five years, indicate the global push towards AI advancement.

Moreover, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed the need for Europe to embrace AI, hinting at the potential implementation of a Stargate-inspired program on the continent.

(Note: $1 = 0.9685 euros)