Get ready for AI war, hippies
Greetings, dear reader
It’s Thomas, TNW’s managing editor, back with a cheerful message to brighten up your day:
Europe is getting ready for AI war.
Feeling warm and fuzzy now? Me neither. But I’m trying my best to focus on the positive side of the plan. Because an AI arms race has already started — and Europe risks falling behind.
To catch up, the continent has begun pumping money into new military technologies. In 2024, VC funding for European defence and security tech surged by 24% to $5.2bn, according to a new report from the Nato Innovation Fund.
AI startups have been a key target for the cash. They’re also now forming their own military alliances.
Their biggest pact yet was announced this week at the AI Action Summit in Paris.
During the landmark event, two of Europe’s most valuable AI startups — Helsing and Mistral — revealed they are jointly developing AI systems “for the defence of Europe.”
If they were to fly a few hours east from Paris, they would find AI already deployed on European battlefields.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago, Ukraine has become a testing ground for the tech. Startups in the country have no choice but to innovate.
TNW spoke to one of them about a new navigation system for drones. The company is now preparing for the next era of military tech: autonomous warfare.
Click the links below for our report on their drone system with the founder and our coverage of the Helsing-Mistral alliance. 👇
⚔️ Europe boosts military AI as Mistral and Helsing form defence tech alliance
What else we’re writing about
🌷 Stalling growth in the Dutch tech sector has sparked urgent calls for fresh funding streams. The findings emerged in the most recent State of Dutch Tech report by Techleap.
🛰️ Ukrainian drones set to evade Russian jamming with new alternative to GPS. Sine.Engineering is behind this new navigation system for drones.
💡 Op-ed: Ethical AI and climate tech are turning the Netherlands into a European innovation leader.
🍔 Your next burgers could be a blend of lab-grown fat and plant-based ingredients as cultivated beef pioneer, Mosa Meat, goes fat-first in Switzerland.
🔍 Can you detect these deepfakes? 99.9% can’t, claims biometrics leader iProov.
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