Andrulis, who founded the German AI startup, said that policymakers should support smaller companies to create a level playing field. (REUTERS)

CEO of Aleph Alpha Raises Concerns About Big Tech’s Potential Exploitation of AI Dominance

Febin MathewJanuary 25, 24 Artificial Intelligence

According to Jonas Andrulis, the CEO of Aleph Alpha GmbH, the emerging technology of artificial intelligence could be dominated by major technology companies that are investing heavily in it.

Criticizing the European Union’s artificial intelligence law, one of the first major pieces of legislation to regulate the technology, Andrulis said it threatens to divert founders’ energy away from innovation and compliance.

“We need a somewhat fair environment,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. “And this is difficult because the big players run monopoly chains so that they can use one monopoly indefinitely to finance the fight for dominance in a new area that is challenging for new players.”

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Cloud service providers such as Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc. have invested heavily in artificial intelligence in recent years. Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in OpenAI has enabled the tech giant to integrate artificial intelligence technology into its software products. The European Commission is investigating the companies’ relationship to decide whether it should be investigated under EU merger rules.

Aleph Alpha’s customers have also raised concerns about data independence — where AI platforms store and process data, Andrulis said.

Last year, the company received 500 million euros ($545 million) in commitments from a German consortium of corporate and venture capital investors. At the time, German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy Robert Habeck made the investment in Aleph Alpha a strategic national priority.

“The idea of our own sovereignty in the AI sector is very important,” Habeck said at the press conference. “If Europe has the best regulation but no European companies, we haven’t won much.”

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