According to Cointelegraph, European Union president Ursula von der Leyen has announced a new initiative to provide artificial intelligence (AI) startups with expedited access to European supercomputers. The announcement was made during her 2023 E.U. State of the Union address on September 13.

President von der Leyen called for the creation of a new global framework for AI, built on three pillars: guardrails, governance, and guiding innovation. She referred to the E.U.'s AI Act as a blueprint for the world and urged the global community to form a governance council similar to the International Panel on Climate Change.

In support of guiding innovation, von der Leyen announced an E.U.-wide initiative to accelerate access to Europe's supercomputers for AI startups who wish to train models and conduct research. She highlighted that Europe has become a leader in supercomputing, with three of the five most powerful supercomputers in the world. The president also praised U.S. technology companies that have voluntarily adopted AI standards and ethics, as well as E.U. companies that have done the same, and called for the establishment of minimum global standards for the safe and ethical use of AI.