This really reads like a parody. Press release, “a consortium of 20 research institutions”, “awarded the STEP (Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform) seal”. Lots of grandiose self-congratulations. All with nothing to run, download or try of course.
https://openai.com/news/company-announcements/
> a consortium of 20 research institutions
https://aimagazine.com/machine-learning/google-invests-in-ai...
> awarded the STEP (Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform) seal
https://openai.com/index/strengthening-americas-ai-leadershi...
> Lots of grandiose self-congratulations
https://x.com/sama/status/1891533802779910471
> All with nothing to run, download or try of course.
It's normal to announce things long before they're actually available to end users. This is not some unique evil of the EU bureaucracy - if anything, it's very corporate of them.
This has... a statement of intent to try to copy that product. Not remotely the same.
Members of the project have previously produced both niche and general models, but without the arrogance and bluster of usian corporate subcultures.
Yes it sounds like a parody or an onion piece. We know the European search engine, cloud, blockchain never got anywhere. I don't even believe that anybody ever really tried.
Now you have to put yourself in their head for 2 minutes and here is what I noticed by knowing a few of them (the "EU type").
In their perception of reality it seems they really believe that if they declare something it is real. This is why they get so deranged if you dare pointing to the facts or just asking questions. It seems they really believe they succeeded in all those projects. I they say it, it exists.
I am not really satisfied by the explanations we usually hear: they are incompetent, it is corruption or even insanity (some sort of mass hysteria that would take root in some institutions).
What I am wondering is, is there a concept in philosophy or some similar pattern in previous civilisation that could help us understand what is going on with the EU?
Because Gaia-X or OpenEuroLLM is one thing, but it is worrisome they now believe they can raise an army and declare war on everybody.
NOT when it comes to the level of violence and repression or quality of living. Those two things are world-class.
But in the sense that there's a more or less unelected political establishment that's
a) Recursive: It does things only to show them off to itself.
b) Not exposed to real-world consequences.
c) Has a non-falsifiable pretense to validate whatever they do and caution against undoing whatever it is. For the soviets, it was anti-capitalism. For the EU it's some notion of safety or sustainability.
d) Inadvertently benefits itself and other elites and harms the people they pretend to protect.
My hope is that as a democratic institution, the EU is capable of reform.
Now what worry me is from I understand of the collapse of the Soviet Union (but I might be very wrong) is they kind let things happen and was less aggressive by the end.
On the contrary the EC is now consolidating power rapidly and are getting very aggressive.
You can't even compare the EC's aggression (pointless regulations) with Soviet ones (no need to elaborate, but it's gruesome).
Except they haven't and lead in all those things mentioned?
And honestly, people don't _want_ the European bureaucracy to move fast. Case in point: the USA.
I'm a german and yes i would absolutely want it to move faster. And I guess you are an american?
You can guess why I prefer a bit more ...gradual... style of governing.