Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s long-standing advocacy for "Sovereign AI" is rapidly gaining traction across Europe as political leaders move to establish independent artificial intelligence infrastructures. During a recent tour of London, Paris, and Berlin, Huang unveiled a series of high-profile partnerships and investments designed to empower Europe’s digital autonomy and reduce its reliance on American tech giants.

Sovereign AI, as envisioned by Huang since 2023, emphasizes that each nation must build and control its own AI systems—rooted in its unique culture, language, and societal values. Comparing AI to vital public infrastructure like electricity or the internet, Huang warned that lagging behind in AI development could have long-term consequences for Europe.

The European Union has echoed this urgency. In February, the European Commission announced a $20 billion initiative to create four AI "gigafactories" across the continent. These centers aim to decrease dependence on U.S. technologies and foster European AI innovation. Reports suggest that Huang has assured EU officials of Nvidia’s support, including allocating chip production to support these factories.

Governments across Europe have responded with enthusiasm and funding:

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged £1 billion to scale national computing infrastructure, stating the country must become “an AI maker, not an AI taker.”

French President Emmanuel Macron declared AI to be “our fight for sovereignty” during his address at the VivaTech conference.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed Nvidia’s AI cloud platform partnership with Deutsche Telekom, calling it a critical step toward national digital leadership.

These moves signal Europe’s growing resolve to develop homegrown AI capabilities while aligning with Nvidia’s global vision of ethical and sovereign AI development.