Meta's AI Chief Urges Europe to Increase AI Investment, Questions $500 Billion US Plan
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On Fri, 24 Jan, 4:04 PM UTC
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Meta guru urges Europe to gamble more on AI
The major investment deal aims to build infrastructure for AI, led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Tesla and X chief Elon Musk as well as Anthropic head Dario Amodei have also expressed doubts about the plans. "It is not clear that any entity has this amount of money to invest, even over five years," Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun said in an interview on Thursday.Europe should take greater risks and plough more money into artificial intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun told AFP at the World Economic Forum. Widely viewed as one of the "godfathers" of AI, he also judged as "a little unrealistic" a $500 billion AI bazooka announced by US President Donald Trump this week. The major investment deal aims to build infrastructure for AI, led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Tesla and X chief Elon Musk as well as Anthropic head Dario Amodei have also expressed doubts about the plans. "It is not clear that any entity has this amount of money to invest, even over five years," LeCun said in an interview on Thursday. "This is certainly what is lacking in Europe in terms of investment," he said. But he admitted the United States' financial system was different to Europe's. "There is a lot of money to invest in the United States because of retirement funds, which do not exist in Europe." AI was again the buzzword at the annual talkfest in the Swiss ski village of Davos, with technology firms such as Facebook-owner Meta out in full force on the thoroughfare near the forum's main centre. Meta proudly put on show its Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses -- which can take photos and provide details about objects in view -- at its storefront, for participants to try. The amounts involved in AI are massive. LeCun pointed to Meta's plans to invest around $60 billion this year, while its rivals plan to plough billions of dollars too. "These are absolutely enormous numbers. And all of this is used to build a computing infrastructure that not only allows AI models to be trained -- it is not a huge amount of resources -- but above all to run them," LeCun noted. Europe's talent The United States is leading the pack on AI, while experts say Europe is falling further behind in technology despite worries about competitiveness. For LeCun, there were two outstanding issues: Europe's lack of money and attitude. "We (Europe) are afraid of risk. We are afraid of financial risks. So we don't invest enough," LeCun said. "But on the other hand, (we are) not at all behind in terms of talent, in terms of spirit," he added. For example, he said, the first version of Meta's large language model, Llama, was developed in Paris by a small group of "12 or 13 people". LeCun also accused regulation of killing innovation. There is a "fear" among lawmakers and decision-makers over the potential consequences, "which lead to regulations that, sometimes, are premature on risks that, in fact, do not exist. And that kills innovation". LeCun did not mention any specific regulation but the European Union last year was the first in the world to green light sweeping AI rules. UN chief Antonio Guterres appeared less optimistic, warning during a WEF address of AI's "profound risks, especially if AI is left ungoverned".
[2]
Meta guru urges Europe to gamble more on AI
Europe should take greater risks and plow more money into artificial intelligence, Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun told AFP at the World Economic Forum. Widely viewed as one of the "godfathers" of AI, he also judged as "a little unrealistic" a $500 billion AI bazooka announced by US President Donald Trump this week. The major investment deal aims to build infrastructure for AI, led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Tesla and X chief Elon Musk as well as Anthropic head Dario Amodei have also expressed doubts about the plans. "It is not clear that any entity has this amount of money to invest, even over five years," LeCun said in an interview on Thursday. "This is certainly what is lacking in Europe in terms of investment," he said. But he admitted the United States' financial system was different to Europe's. "There is a lot of money to invest in the United States because of retirement funds, which do not exist in Europe." AI was again the buzzword at the annual talkfest in the Swiss ski village of Davos, with technology firms such as Facebook-owner Meta out in full force on the thoroughfare near the forum's main center. Meta proudly put on show its Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses -- which can take photos and provide details about objects in view -- at its storefront, for participants to try. The amounts involved in AI are massive. LeCun pointed to Meta's plans to invest around $60 billion this year, while its rivals plan to plow billions of dollars too. "These are absolutely enormous numbers. And all of this is used to build a computing infrastructure that not only allows AI models to be trained -- it is not a huge amount of resources -- but above all to run them," LeCun noted. Europe's talent The United States is leading the pack on AI, while experts say Europe is falling further behind in technology despite worries about competitiveness. For LeCun, there were two outstanding issues: Europe's lack of money and attitude. "We (Europe) are afraid of risk. We are afraid of financial risks. So we don't invest enough," LeCun said. "But on the other hand, (we are) not at all behind in terms of talent, in terms of spirit," he added. For example, he said, the first version of Meta's large language model, Llama, was developed in Paris by a small group of "12 or 13 people". LeCun also accused regulation of killing innovation. There is a "fear" among lawmakers and decision-makers over the potential consequences, "which lead to regulations that, sometimes, are premature on risks that, in fact, do not exist. And that kills innovation". LeCun did not mention any specific regulation but the European Union last year was the first in the world to green light sweeping AI rules. UN chief Antonio Guterres appeared less optimistic, warning during a WEF address of AI's "profound risks, especially if AI is left ungoverned".
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Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, calls for Europe to take greater risks and invest more in AI, while expressing skepticism about the recently announced $500 billion US AI investment plan.
Meta's AI Chief Calls for Increased European Investment
Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist and widely regarded as one of the "godfathers" of AI, has urged Europe to take greater risks and increase its investment in artificial intelligence. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, LeCun highlighted the disparity in AI funding between Europe and the United States, emphasizing the need for Europe to catch up 12.
Skepticism Over $500 Billion US AI Plan
LeCun expressed doubts about the recently announced $500 billion AI investment plan in the United States, calling it "a little unrealistic." The plan, led by Japanese giant SoftBank and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, aims to build infrastructure for AI. However, LeCun questioned the feasibility of such a massive investment, stating, "It is not clear that any entity has this amount of money to invest, even over five years" 12.
Europe's AI Challenges: Funding and Risk Aversion
According to LeCun, Europe faces two main obstacles in the AI race: lack of funding and a risk-averse attitude. He pointed out that the United States has more investment capital due to its retirement fund system, which is not present in Europe. LeCun emphasized, "We (Europe) are afraid of risk. We are afraid of financial risks. So we don't invest enough" 12.
Talent and Innovation in Europe
Despite financial limitations, LeCun praised Europe's talent pool and innovative spirit in the AI field. He cited the development of Meta's large language model, Llama, as an example of European expertise, noting that its first version was created by a small team of 12 to 13 people in Paris 12.
Concerns Over Premature AI Regulation
LeCun criticized the tendency towards premature regulation in Europe, arguing that it could stifle innovation. He expressed concern about regulations based on "risks that, in fact, do not exist," which he believes can hinder progress in the AI sector. This comes in the context of the European Union's recent approval of sweeping AI rules, the first of their kind globally 12.
AI Investment Scale and Infrastructure
The scale of AI investments was highlighted by LeCun, who mentioned Meta's plans to invest around $60 billion this year. He emphasized that these substantial investments are primarily directed towards building computing infrastructure necessary for training and running AI models 12.
Global AI Leadership and Competitiveness
The United States continues to lead in AI development, with experts noting that Europe is falling behind despite concerns about competitiveness. The World Economic Forum in Davos saw AI as a central theme, with companies like Meta showcasing their latest AI technologies, such as the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses 12.
Contrasting Views on AI Governance
While LeCun advocated for increased investment and less regulatory constraint, UN Chief Antonio Guterres offered a more cautious perspective. During his address at the World Economic Forum, Guterres warned of the "profound risks" associated with AI, especially if left ungoverned 12.
Reference
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