“We need a concerted effort of unprecedented scale for AI” — Carsten Knop in conversation with German Federal Minister Karsten Wildberger

"At the F.A.Z. AI Conference on Tuesday, Karsten Wildberger took a clear stance on the opportunities that artificial intelligence holds for Germany and Europe. We present the full text of his speech here.

 

I’ll start here at the F.A.Z. with a disclaimer: This speech was created “in cooperation with” artificial intelligence. We worked on it together. And just as in a good newsroom—where the final byline belongs not to the researcher, the archivist, or the editor, but to the author—I stand here today taking full responsibility for my speech. It is based on my thoughts. My structure. My stance. And that is precisely the point today: AI does not replace responsibility; it raises the bar for it. And with that, we are right at the heart of the topic. I would like to address three things.

 

First: the significance and scope of AI, and the consequences this must entail for us in politics, business, and society.

 

Second: the mindset required to shape this transformation.

 

And third: what we must do to remain competitive and secure our future in the age of AI.

 

1. Significance and scope of AI

 

The significance of AI is still widely underestimated. It will transform every aspect of life. It is already making a powerful impact in software development—one of the most crucial elements of value creation. For the first time, we are essentially replacing programming—a form of language (which, incidentally, possesses its own elegance and beauty)—with the machine. And the scarce resource of “intelligence” is suddenly available in abundance.

 

This gives rise to application after application: in manufacturing, in process automation, and ultimately in the augmentation of our own thinking. It is happening almost everywhere, because the machine can do many things faster and more efficiently—and some things already better—than we can. But I am convinced: In the short term, humans won’t be replaced by AI itself, but rather by the people who successfully leverage and deploy AI for profit. Almost any business model can be reimagined if approached from the perspective of AI—building it up from the ground floor. That is where much of the pressure will come from.

 

Let’s look at where value creation is shifting: initially toward language models and frontier models, but ultimately across the entire AI stack. This highlights exactly where we need to catch up and achieve greater autonomy—in energy, chips, data centers, and AI models. And, crucially, in AI solutions—the application layer. We must focus all our efforts here to ensure we are fit for the future.

 

I would go a step further. I am convinced we need an extremely ambitious political agenda for AI, coupled with determined implementation. This ranks among the most pressing challenges Europe has faced since the Second World War. If we fail to harness AI independently and profitably, Europe will lose the ability to shape its own future. We would find ourselves on the economic and political sidelines, struggling to defend our values ​​or fund our social welfare systems in their current form. Ultimately, even our democracy would come under pressure.

 

We therefore need a concerted effort on an unprecedented scale to remain relevant. Yet, therein lies our opportunity. I call it "leapfrogging."

 

The concept of leapfrogging comes from development economics. We saw it with South Korea, which made massive strides in digital infrastructure early on, and with Estonia, which systematically built a digital state following its independence. For over twenty years, major platforms were built elsewhere, standards were set elsewhere, and dependencies were determined elsewhere. AI now opens a window of opportunity. Perhaps the last one. Certainly the decisive one.

 

And we are not starting from scratch. Germany possesses immense industrial strength, a robust SME sector serving as a powerful backbone, world-class research capabilities, great inventive spirit, and a promising, resurgent generation of entrepreneurs who naturally embrace AI. And, not to be overlooked, a reliable rule of law.

 

We have far more going for us than we often realize.

 

2. The Mindset

 

This brings me to the second point: mindset. What kind of attitude do we need?

 

Let me give you an example from China. Despite any skepticism or criticism, I respect Chinese culture and what China has achieved over the past few decades. In a recent interview, Professor Zhang Weiwei described the Chinese attitude toward AI—in essence—like this: "AI is unstoppable. And because it is unstoppable, we embrace it pragmatically and calmly, continue to develop it, and leverage every advantage. And whatever problems may arise along the way, we  are solving them. That is our stance. This is a completely different approach from the one we often choose—namely, ruling out risks from the outset and viewing technology with great skepticism. We need to give more room to opportunities, maximize benefits, and find solutions to risks along the way.

 

Why is this so crucial right now? Because this technology is evolving faster than anything humanity has ever developed before. Advances no longer happen on a yearly or even six-monthly basis; they occur monthly, or even almost weekly. Anyone who does not actively shape this development and take a leading role in it will face immense pressure.

 

As I say: If you don’t shape AI, you will be shaped by it.

 

We have developed a reflex that paralyzes us: we comment and pass judgment. Yet we implement too little and struggle to tolerate contradictions and uncertainty. If we are serious about "leapfrogging," we must overcome this self-imposed restraint.

 

3. What we are doing

 

This brings me to the third point: What exactly are we doing in the political sphere? I would like to highlight three areas where we are taking action: rules for AI, the sovereign infrastructure on which AI runs, and frontier models, AI applications, and the ecosystem.

First, the rules. We are advocating for—and achieving—more innovation-friendly regulation. Regarding the AI ​​Act, we succeeded in having the Machinery Regulation excluded from its scope initially. This gives our industry greater clarity and freedom to develop and utilize AI. Furthermore, we will improve the conditions for AI and cloud applications in the healthcare sector—a move that is long overdue. We are also working on data protection rules that focus more on data usage, while ensuring that fundamental rights and protections—such as privacy—remain intact.

 

Second, sovereign infrastructure. Through our data center strategy, we are working with numerous companies ready to invest to build AI-capable computing infrastructure as quickly as possible. After all, what we ultimately need is computing power.

 

And a genuine milestone: for the first time, the federal government has awarded contracts for a sovereign cloud to two European consortia led by German companies. In doing so, we are building a scalable, sovereign cloud infrastructure for public administration in Germany—the "Deutschland-Stack." This entails a shared architecture for digitalization and AI solutions, the EUDI Wallet for digital identity, and the "Deutschland-App." Furthermore, the state is strategically fulfilling its role as an anchor customer to drive economic growth.

Thirdly: models, applications, and the ecosystem. We are supporting consortia working on frontier models. When it comes to world models and vision models, Germany is home to companies that rank among the global elite; we must ensure they remain European. For language models, too, we will need our own solutions capable of competing globally—consider, for instance, cybersecurity and software development capabilities. The partnership between Cohere and Aleph Alpha makes a significant contribution here, creating a leading player with a strong foothold in Germany.

Equally important is the widespread adoption of AI—its so-called diffusion. How do we enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate with young companies on sovereign infrastructure and unlock the benefits of AI? How do we support start-up ecosystems? One example is the "Agentic AI Hub" for public administration, where start-ups help us digitize and automate administrative processes. This is how we build momentum.

AI is the most profound technology of our time. It is transforming how we work, how companies position themselves, and how public administration and security operate. The changes it brings to every aspect of life will challenge us, requiring us to leave old habits behind and embrace the new.

Yet, the full picture also includes the fact that AI can help us solve major problems: curing diseases, extending lives, and addressing energy and climate issues. AI can drive significant economic growth and make public administration efficient and agile.

AI continues to evolve—in the US, in China, and in other parts of the world. With us, or without us.

 

And that is why my position is clear: we cannot simply reject this technology just because others are the ones shaping it—securing growth and prosperity for themselves while we end up paying rent to use it. That would only increase our economic and political dependence. That must not happen.

 

I am convinced that artificial intelligence can drive a comeback for Germany. What matters now is the will and the courage to move forward—and the readiness to learn along the way.

 

This is a task for policymakers and the business community, but also for the media. For this transformation requires public engagement. It requires context. It requires critical scrutiny. But above all, it requires courage.

 

Engage in discussion boldly, critically, and optimistically—but with the necessary openness to the joy of progress.”

 

AI needs stable and inexpensive energy. Chinese have Russian gas, that you, Germans, pushed to them with your sanctions. Americans have their own gas. What do you have? Zeitenwende? [1] What is this? Hot air? Not enough to produce stable electricity to run AI factories. 

 

1. Zeitenwende (literally "turning of an era" or "watershed", German) refers to the historic shift in Germany's foreign and security policy announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February 2022, shortly after start of the events in Ukraine. It signaled the end of Germany's post-Cold War culture of military restraint. The Germans closed their eyes again and opened their mouths wide.