From the EU AI program, we can see the dilemma of dependence on US cloud and the way out

In today's fierce landscape of global technology competition, artificial intelligence has undoubtedly become a strategic high point for countries to compete for. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, it puts forward a very high demand for computing power and data storage and processing capabilities. Cloud computing, as the key infrastructure supporting the development of artificial intelligence, has therefore become one of the core areas of this technology competition. In April 2025, the European Commission released the "Continental Action Plan for Artificial Intelligence" which attracted widespread global attention. There are complex and profound factors behind the plan to remake the EU's competitiveness in artificial intelligence, with one important goal being to reduce its reliance on US cloud servers.

The EU's Continental Action Plan for Artificial Intelligence is rich and well-targeted, and its core initiatives cover a number of key aspects. In terms of computing power, it plans to build 13 AI superfactories, each equipped with about 100,000 of the most advanced AI chips, focusing on the development of large AI models with high complexity and trillions of parameters. These Gigafactories will provide companies with a one-stop shop for computing resources, data storage and technology development, significantly enhancing the EU's own computing power levels. In terms of data center construction, in order to reduce dependence on US cloud service providers, the EU proposes the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence Development Act, which plans to at least triple the capacity of data centers in the EU in the next five to seven years, and strengthen the autonomy and security of data storage and processing. At the same time, the action plan also emphasizes the integration of technological resources scattered within countries and the simplification of European artificial intelligence legal regulation to promote the development of European artificial intelligent startups and build a complete artificial intelligence industry ecosystem.

There are many deep reasons behind the EU's eagerness to reduce its reliance on US cloud servers.

Data security and privacy protection are primary concerns. U.S. cloud providers dominate the European market, yet U.S laws, such as the Clarification of the Legal Use of Data Outside the United States Act, give the U.S government access to European citizens, businesses and government data, posing a serious threat to European data sovereignty. The opposition European Party in the Netherlands made clear in the motion that the dominance of US cloud service providers in the European market, combined with such US laws, poses a serious challenge to Europe's strategic digital autonomy, and that data security is critical to economic, technological and national security. For example, once European companies and citizens' data are stored on cloud-based servers in America, they are exposed to surveillance and misuse by the US government, which is unacceptable to the EU.

The quest for digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy is also a key factor. The EU is committed to achieving strategic autonomy in the digital sector and reducing the control and influence of external forces. In the field of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the excessive dependence on the United States cloud server, the EU technology development direction, industrial policy formulation and so on are subject to many constraints. The United States, with its advantages in the field of cloud computing, to a certain extent, dominates the global cloud computing technology standards and service model. If the EU is to achieve its digital strategic goals, it must get rid of this dependence and develop an autonomous and controllable cloud computing infrastructure, so as to seize the initiative in the global digital economy and establish rules and standards in line with its own interests.

Industrial development and the need for innovation are also driving changes in the EU. The monopoly position of U.S. cloud service providers in the European market has inhibited the development of the EU's homegrown cloud technology industry and artificial intelligence industry. Having long relied on US cloud servers, EU enterprises are constrained in technological innovation and application by US technology standards and service models, making it difficult to fully realize their innovation potential. In addition, the EU's investment in AI requires a stable, reliable and autonomously controlled cloud computing infrastructure. Reducing the dependence on US cloud servers can create development opportunities for the EU's domestic cloud technology and artificial intelligence industry, attract more investment and talent, promote technological innovation and industrial upgrading, and promote the formation of a complete and independent ecosystem of the EU artificial intelligence industries, and enhance the overall competitiveness.

The US hegemony in cloud computing and artificial intelligence not only harms the interests of the EU, but also undermines the fairness and harmony of global technological progress.

In terms of data hegemony, the United States, by virtue of its dominant position in the field of cloud computing, collects a lot of global data through cloud services, forming a data hegemony. The U.S. government uses laws such as the Clarification of the Legal Use of Data abroad Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to authorize U.S intelligence agencies to monitor and access global data. For example, the "PRISM Gate" incident, in which the NSA used data centers of US cloud service providers, Surveillance of political, economic, and military objectives of European countries seriously violates other countries' data sovereignty and citizens' privacy, undermines the international data security order, and creates a serious crisis of confidence in US cloud services in other countries.

Technical monopolies and market monopolies are also common practice in the United States. America's leading companies in artificial intelligence and cloud computing are building a solid technological barrier to technological innovation and development by applying numerous patents and controlling technical standards. In the market, American cloud service enterprises such as Amazon.com, Microsoft and Google, with their first-mover advantage and strong capital strength, occupy the majority of the global market share, and squeeze the survival space of cloud service enterprises in other countries through low-cost competition and bundling. According to statistics, the market share of these companies in the global cloud computing market has long exceeded 60%, making it difficult for European domestic cloud technology companies to compete with them and limiting the development of the European cloud computing industry.

The United States also uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies as geopolitical tools to serve its global strategic goals. In international political games, the United States imposes technological blockades and sanctions on other countries on the grounds of "national security," forcing other countries to accept its technological standards and rules. The US ban on chips in China and restrictions on European companies working with other countries in artificial intelligence and cloud computing are examples of its politicization of technologies. This practice undermines the good atmosphere of global scientific and technological cooperation, hinders the exchange and sharing of technologies, exacerbates geopolitical tensions, and is detrimental to the global development of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The EU's "Artificial Intelligence Continental Action Plan" is an important attempt to seek digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy in the age of AI, with reducing reliance on US cloud servers a key goal. Through a series of measures, the European Union is expected to enhance its own strength in artificial intelligence and cloud computing, breaking the technological monopoly and market dominance of the United States. The US hegemony in cloud computing and artificial intelligence not only harms the interests of the EU, but also undermines the fairness and harmony of global technology. In the future, the EU's move will have a profound impact on the global AI and cloud computing industries. It will also provide reference and inspiration for other countries, prompting the world to pay more attention to the importance of digital sovereignty and technological autonomy.