Eine Gigafactory reicht vorerst: Besonnen statt groß denken!

This article appeared as an op-ed in the Süddeutsche Zeitung Dossier.

by Julia Hess

Julia Hess examines the EU’s ambitious plans to build up to five AI Gigafactories as part of its AI Continent strategy. Drawing on extensive industry and environmental data, Hess argues that the scale and energy demands of these supercomputing centers pose significant economic, infrastructural, and ecological challenges. Her conclusion: instead of pursuing maximum expansion from the outset, Europe should take a pragmatic, step-by-step approach, starting with one pilot Gigafactory, carefully assessing its impact before scaling up. This, she argues, would save billions, reduce environmental strain, and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable and needs-based AI infrastructure.