AMD & G42 will build a powerful AI computing center in France

France’s president Emmanuel Macron recently announced a total of 109 billion Euros ($112 billion) in private investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem. Shortly after, G42, a prominent AI technology group from Abu Dhabi, has also shared that it’s setting up a cutting-edge AI computing center in Grenoble, France. The project, announced at the AI Action Summit in Paris, will help French researchers and businesses develop advanced AI systems. Here’s more information about this project:

What do we know about the upcoming data center?

The new facility will be built in partnership with DataOne, Europe’s first large scale AI hosting infrastructure data center. Core42, a G42 subsidiary specializing in cloud computing and AI infrastructure, leads the project. While we don’t know much about the technical infrastructure, it was shared that the data center will use powerful AMD Instinct accelerator GPUs specifically designed for AI applications. If you’re unfamiliar with this platform, I recommend viewing the brief presentation clip below.

“France is taking bold strides in AI innovation, and G42 is proud to contribute to this effort. By deploying AMD GPUs, we are not only strengthening Europe’s AI infrastructure but also enabling enterprises and researchers to accelerate innovation at scale. Our collaboration with local providers ensures seamless access to the computational power needed to drive the next wave of AI advancement in France and beyond.” said Kiril Evtimov, who serves as both G42’s Chief Technology Officer and Core42’s CEO.

Kiril Evtimov, Group CTO of G42 and CEO of Core42

AMD’s Chair and CEO, Lisa Su, highlighted how this project will boost France’s AI startup scene: “Our strategic collaboration with G42 will help energize the French AI ecosystem, providing the compute capacity needed to enable the local AI start-ups and AI pioneers who are driving state-of-the-art innovation and strengthening the French economy.”

Lisa Su presenting AMD Instict accelerators

This investment marks an important step in bringing substantially more AI computing power to Europe. It will give French companies and researchers the tools they need to develop sophisticated AI models and applications without relying on facilities in other countries. The data center is expected to be up and running by mid-2025.

While this is bound to be an important project for France, it also shows how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expanding its influence in the global AI industry. Recently, France and the UAE signed an agreement to build a 1 gigawatt data centre dedicated to AI, with investments in the range of $30 to $50 billion. I’m curious to see how successful these projects will be and how they’ll impact France’s economy in the future.