Business News Tech AI Friedrich Merz says Germany must preserve 'digital sovereignty' in AI era

German chancellor Friedrich Merz appointed a minister for digitalisation and modernisation when he took office last year and his government has vowed to intensify efforts to make up the technological lag with European economies that have moved faster, including the Netherlands and Denmark.

Germany and Europe must move more quickly to develop their own artificial intelligence capabilities to protect their " digital sovereignty " in an era being transformed by the new technology, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday. Speaking at a conference on artificial intelligence in Berlin, Merz said nations risked surrendering control to outside providers as the new technology becomes embedded in the economy. "That is why we must, at all costs, avoid becoming entirely dependent on third parties when it comes to developing and using this technology," he said.

"And that is why the issue of digital sovereignty in the context of AI becomes a truly existential question," he said. Adapting to the change would require "an enormous technological and organisational effort, a far-reaching modernisation of our state and our economy," he said, pledging to accelerate efforts to digitalize the economy. "After all, the aim is to be able to produce and manage technologies independently, securely and autonomously throughout the entire value chain, from hardware to software," he said. Merz appointed a minister for digitalisation and modernisation when he took office last year and his government has vowed to intensify efforts to make up the technological lag with European economies that have moved faster, including the Netherlands and Denmark.

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