Comment by Centre for Future Generations

In our initial report, we estimated that establishing CERN for AI requires €30–35 billion over the first three years—an investment that would yield cascading benefits for Europe’s future. The initiative would be funded primarily through core contributions from the EU, member countries, and strategic private sector partners, supplemented by program-specific industry funding, technology licensing revenue, and compute capacity rental. These resources would position Europe to lead in domains where AI capabilities could be decisive: addressing climate change, enhancing regional cybersecurity, and maintaining global competitiveness and regulatory influence. While these boards provide crucial guidance, ultimate control would remain with member countries, initially comprising EU/EEA states and trusted Horizon Europe partners like the UK, Switzerland, and Canada. A tiered membership structure could enable future broadening while protecting sensitive technology.