Google unveils AI centre in Berlin

Google on Thursday unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) centre in Berlin, as the US tech giant seeks to expand its infrastructure in Germany.

The new Google AI centre is the central component in a large-scale investment programme worth €5.5 billion ($6.4 billion), and is intended to promote closer cooperation with representatives from science and politics.

In the historic rooms of the Forum on Museum Island in Berlin's Mitte district, Google will bring together teams from Google DeepMind, Google Research and Google Cloud under one roof.

The facility also includes a space for presenting the latest AI technologies.

Philipp Justus, Google's head of Central Europe, said the centre is a place for collaboration and debate that will boost Germany's AI capabilities.

Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger called the development "a good day for Germany," showing the country's position as an attractive high-tech location.

"New ideas, collaborations and products are emerging here that benefit start-ups, small and medium enterprises and industry," he said.

Wildberger also addressed concerns that the dominance of US corporations such as Google is jeopardizing Germany's digital sovereignty.

"Digital sovereignty is extremely important for Germany and for Europe," he argued, but it "does not mean doing everything on your own."

"We continue to work in partnerships on an equal footing," he added.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner sees the new centre as a sign of confidence in the strength and future of the capital city, which he said is on its way to becoming the number one location for innovation in Europe.

Collaborations on medical research

The opening is accompanied by new collaborations, including one with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the scientific institution Helmholtz Munich.

The initiative will develop responsible AI applications for medicine and research, for example in single-cell research. 

Fabian Theis, head of the Helmholtz computational health centre, said: "Drug development still takes 10 years, costs billions, and then 90% of clinical trials don't work."

The crucial question when using AI, he said, is how to find out more quickly and reliably which model could work before investing many years and considerable resources.

AI's potential for growth

At the opening of the AI centre, Google referred to the enormous economic potential of artificial intelligence.

An analysis by the German Economic Institute (IW) commissioned by tech giant shows that the widespread use of generative AI could generate additional gross value added of around €440 billion per year in the country by 2034.

The internet giant's largest investment programme for Germany to date includes not only the new AI centre in Berlin but also the construction of a new data centre in the central town of Dietzenbach.

In addition, the Google sites in Munich and Frankfurt are to be expanded.