The New Global Race – For Compute

Hello everyone,   The next global race is not for oil, gold, or even data.   It is for something far more powerful: the ability to compute.   In this Short Take I look at the developments from 6–12 July 2026, with the RAISE Summit in Paris (7–9 July) as a central moment.   Discussions there moved beyond new AI models to the physical foundations that make them possible: data centres, semiconductors, high-performance computing, energy supply, and networking systems.   We also saw concrete moves on the ground: Cerebras announced major European AI computing expansion (starting in France, then Norway and Finland), Poste Italiane advanced its push into Telecom Italia to strengthen national cloud and digital infrastructure, and broader investments like SoftBank’s €75 billion commitment to French AI data centres continue to shape the landscape.   But this is not just a technology story.   I explore how computational infrastructure is quietly becoming the environment in which culture itself operates. For the first time at civilizational scale, the systems we build don’t only carry information, they increasingly help produce, summarise, translate, design, and decide.What does it mean when the infrastructure of knowledge begins to participate in knowledge creation?   Who owns the capacity to compute? Who shapes the platforms through which meaning is increasingly formed? And how will human judgment, discernment, and creativity adapt when everyday tools think alongside us?   From technology companies and governments to creative professionals, businesses across every sector, and ordinary citizens, this shift touches nearly everyone.Closing reflection: Europe is not merely investing in AI.   It is helping build the future environments in which future generations will think, create, learn, and lead. Technology expands capability, but culture and human behaviour ultimately decide where that capability leads.   But I am also curious to know what your take would be on this. Drop our comment in the comment section.   Have a great week ahead!   Nelly   Sources in case you are looking more:    https://www.raisesummit.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/ai-cost-savers-preach-thrift-parisian-palaces-2026-07-10/?utm_source=chatgpt.com   https://m.economictimes.com/markets/us-stocks/news/global-market-cerebras-bets-big-on-europe-with-ai-infrastructure-expansion-amid-soaring-demand/articleshow/132283420.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com   https://investors.cerebras.ai/news-releases/news-release-details/cerebras-systems-accelerates-european-expansion-200mw-ai-compute?utm_source=chatgpt.com