Access to artificial intelligence (AI) models is not only an issue of economic independence, but also a national security issue.
For those in doubt, this became clear in mid-June when Anthropic announced that it would deny access to all foreign users to its top-tier AI software based on orders from the U.S. government, citing national security concerns.
These AI models (Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5) are considered particularly effective at identifying software vulnerabilities.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says Germany urgently needs to catch up in the field of artificial intelligence.
He said that in the current situation, it is essential to support the formation of technological innovations. Otherwise, “you too could soon be among the victims,” he added, according to German news agency dpa.
AI support in France and Germany
The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) told DW that initial efforts have already been agreed.
DFKI and its French partner Inria, a public research institute for computer science and automation, are about to sign an agreement to establish a Franco-German AI center.
According to DFKI spokesperson Andreas Schepers, offices will be set up in Germany and France from July 2026, with operations expected to begin by the third quarter of the same year.
One French company is already in the race. Mistral AI is a French software company focused on artificial intelligence and a European leader in large-scale language models.
By European standards, Mistral is a heavyweight. In September 2025, the company announced that it had secured approximately 1.7 billion euros ($2 billion at the time) in investment, taking the company’s value to nearly 12 billion euros.
“This investment will accelerate our scientific research and continue to push the frontiers of AI,” the company said in a blog post.
Previously, Dutch company ASML, the world’s largest supplier of advanced machinery used to print microcircuits on computer chips for the semiconductor industry, had acquired an 11% stake in Mistral, according to numerous reports.
Who is protecting Europe’s autonomy?
“Europe needs to develop its own strong AI products to remain effective and competitive,” said Bernhard Rohleder, chairman of the German association Bitkom, which represents more than 2,200 companies in the digital industry.
“A country is digitally sovereign if it has significant capabilities in key technologies and can independently decide from which countries to source technologies that it has not developed,” he told DW.
The German government appears to share this view, implementing European AI regulations in February.
Rather than establishing a new “bloated bureaucracy,” he pledged to ensure “safe AI adoption, stronger growth, and increased innovative capabilities in our company.”
Germany’s contribution to the European project
When discussing the potential of Europe’s future technology champions, Mistral’s name always seems to come up.
Bitkom chief Rohleder also emphasized local strengths.
“Many companies in Germany are working on building their own AI products,” said Rohleder.
What is 12 billion euros when it comes to AI?
Building a new building requires time, collective effort, and above all goodwill and a lot of money.
The news that Mistral’s value was valued at 12 billion euros was therefore very welcome. But how significant is this number given the incredible scale of global investment in this sector?
“With 12 billion euros, we can achieve big deals,” Rohleder declared.
But it’s not just about money. Equally important, he added, is “whether it is possible to attract talent and whether the overall conditions are suitable.” “AI companies need less regulation and governments to act as key customers to introduce new technology and support their scaling.”
「重要な問題は、ミストラルが短期的に米国を追い越せるかどうかではない」とDFKIのレナート・クーン氏は書いている。 The success of an AI model is not only determined by the valuation of a particular company.
What’s more important, Kuhn said, is “data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, transparency, and control of infrastructure.” “In these areas, European providers like Mistral can certainly build a competitive advantage.”
It’s not too late in Europe
Time is running out if Germany and Europe want to avoid falling behind.
According to the German Artificial Intelligence Research Center, four key elements are needed if the continent wants to become a true alternative to the United States.
- Investment funds will increase significantly.
- Major investments in European data centres, energy supplies and chip infrastructure.
- The single market will expand faster, be less fragmented and more uniformly regulated.
- European solutions are increasingly in demand from local businesses and institutions.
“European AI providers must and can become an alternative to global players in AI.”
This article was originally published in German.
