Can Europe Cope With Developing Scientific Revolution?

Artificial intelligence, big date, cybersecurity, etc., information technologies are on the verge of a new revolution that will transform our lives simultaneously, but also the economy and most likely large geopolitical and strategic balances.

China and the United States are at the top of these areas and engaged in a race that is speeding up innovation. In this scientific revolution in what position is Europe? Will it be able to support European companies and accompany changes that will have human and social consequences?

A statement makes a common opinion: Europe is delayed in developing these technologies, especially in the fundamental field of artificial intelligence. When we compare state budgets for their spending in this sector, there are two countries: The United States, which mobilise $450 billion annually for scientific research and development, out of which “only” a billion destined for artificial intelligence.

China in July 2017 launched a highly ambitious investment plan of $22 billion a year for artificial intelligence, and before 2025 it will reach 60 billion.

But it is not just the budget of these countries. US companies GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft) alone cost 60 billion dollars a year for scientific research and innovation in artificial intelligence.

Chinese companies BATX (Buidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi) follow the same path: Alibaba has recently invested $15 billion in research into artificial intelligence (IA), while the overall budget (the National Scientific Research Institute in IT and automatic (INRIA), France's prestigious French scientific research institution, spends with difficulty the amount of 230m euros spent on artificial intelligence.

This imbalance between the United States and China on the one hand and other countries legally exposes the problem of the technological sovereignty of states.

With good reason Jean-Gabriel Ganascia, professor at the University of Sorbonne, raises the question. Who controls Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity technologies? Are the above technological giants mentioned companies strongly supported by the American government, on the one hand, and highly controlled by the Chinese state on the other?

Among these two development policies, Europe does not weigh heavily. It copes with the two very interventary powers in their respective economies, while the European Union does not stop in protecting free exchange and free competition, whose respect hinders the technological development of the old continent. In addition, new initiatives that arise in Europe are never too tired to be bought back by American firms. About thirty European companies have been absorbed by the American firm Mountain View since its establishment in 1998. Even more disturbing, the strategy of these companies has been bought back by Google, as the only way for them to realise financial income: so the birth of an economic architecture and dynamic and venture in Europe systematically faces the power of the financial fire of the North Atlantic giants.

Under these conditions it is difficult that the European Union in the short term could implement such a consistent and integrated economic policy as China or at a smaller level, than the United States in the sector of new technologies. How can European states get together to force foreign companies, as the Chinese state does, to collect their clients' data on European territory? Actually this is not targeted. But this would allow personal information of citizens not to be transferred from Europe, kept out, ratted out, and finally used against European states or companies. As Agata Kazhe, president of Compas Labe, points out, data today is essential to cybersecurity and the development of artificial intelligence; but which are already the defiitation of foreign, American or Chinese firms.

The low level of European policy integration hinders the presentation of an efficient and ambitious strategy. And without fear we must accept it. Europe is unable to catch its delay. But, as Jean-Gabriel Ganascia points out, this consisting is not necessarily dramatic. According to him, Europe's interest would be better to abandon sectors in which Americans and Chinese have made good progress in new areas. Loik Bardon, co-founder of the think-tank Paris Singuarity, rightly recalls that the fourth upcoming scientific revolution will mobilise other areas, whose prospects for the European economy today are incalculable, such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, ITistics, knowledge technologies (NBIC).

In these areas of research, Europe aims to have a comparable advantage to cope with the two major economic powers of this early 20th century. To do this, it requires massively to invest in continued education and training; to initiate a bold industrial policy, capable of producing European technological giants and finally promoting a strong desire for new technologies in the service of society.

In this context, the marks of a European solidarity directed towards a common goal are needed.

Without that solidarity Europe will be reduced to the role of the spectator. /GSH/Albanian: Sali Metan/