Alibaba chairman urges Europe to use open-source AI for independence

At the Wave technology event in Italy, Alibaba Group chairman Joe Tsai argued that open-source artificial intelligence is Europe’s most viable path toward technological independence. Tsai suggested that European manufacturers should leverage their deep industrial base and operational data to train and refine open-source models rather than relying on closed-source APIs controlled by foreign entities.

Former Vodafone CEO and former Italian minister Vittorio Colao also addressed Europe’s digital standing at the same event. Colao noted that Europe currently possesses less than 2 gigawatts of AI computing capacity and requires significant increases to remain competitive. He cautioned that while Europe missed the previous digital wave, it must avoid missing the current one by addressing slow investment speeds, administrative complexities in countries like Italy, Germany, and France, and the lack of a unified capital market.