Europe needs to move from merely using AI to building it in industries where the continent is already strong, Peter Sarlin, CEO and co-founder of Silo AI, argues in conversation with Andreas Liebl (appliedAI) in this insightful DLD Munich 2026 conversation.
Sarlin describes the journey of Silo AI, founded in 2017 as a bootstrapped R&D lab in Finland with over 300 AI scientists, before its acquisition by chipmaker AMD in 2024. Today, Silo AI serves as AMD’s global AI lab – still headquartered in Helsinki – that helps companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft build state-of-the-art models.
Strengthening Europe’s position in AI requires bold investments, robust ecosystems, and “moonshot” initiatives, Sarlin argues. “The most talented people want to work with the most talented people on the most challenging problems”, he says. “We need moonshots, and we need ambitious entrepreneurs that are willing to push forward.”
The continent’s fragmentation is one of Europe’s biggest obstacles, Sarlin notes. “We cannot have an AI hub in every single city in Europe. We have to concentrate and ensure that we have world-class initiatives.”
Watch the video to explore this topic in detail.
