AI solutions can be built entirely on European technology
Can an AI solution be effective, scalable and still run fully on European services? For most SME use cases, the answer is yes.
The risks linked to IT dependence are no longer only theoretical. They have a direct impact on business continuity, negotiation power and competitiveness. AI solutions can be implemented safely and efficiently within a European environment and for many companies, this is becoming a relevant strategic question.
In this article, we outline where to begin and answer the questions many decision-makers are currently wondering.
Why are IT dependency risks being discussed right now?
Geopolitical uncertainty has highlighted the risks of vendor lock‑in as well as digital service dependencies.
A total, sudden shutdown of services is still unlikely, but from the perspective of an SME, even small disruptions at the wrong time or place can significantly affect production, reporting or customer service.
In companies dependency may have grown also gradually and somewhat unnoticed. When multiple processes, integrations and data flows rely on the same provider, the organisation becomes anchored to a single technical backbone. Now is a good time to examine the situation proactively, before a potential crisis forces acting or assessing under pressure.
Do AI systems have specific dependency risks?
AI does not inherently increase IT dependency. AI‑enabled systems consist of the same core components as any other IT system. If an AI solution uses a specific vendor’s language model, it can usually be replaced with another. The switch requires testing and some adjustments, but in most cases it is fully feasible.
The more important task is understanding the fundamentals:
- Which services the solution relies on?
- Where the capacity is located?
- What alternatives exist?
These are the same questions any IT solution should be assessed against.
What should SMEs do now?
We recommend reducing the dependency risks related to AI solutions through the following three steps:
1. Map your dependencies
Start by understanding the current state: where your data resides, which processes are truly critical, and which services your automations and AI solutions rely on. If you don’t have a clear picture yet, now is the right moment to build one.
2. Build a continuity and contingency plan
Define how the organisation operates if a critical service is unavailable for an extended period. Backups, recovery testing and communication practices apply just as much to AI and automation as they do to any other part of your IT landscape.
3. Explore alternatives through small pilots
Even a small pilot in a European environment provides more insight than a stack of plans and documents. Pilots help you understand how your solutions perform in an alternative environment and what a larger transition would require.
Is it truly possible to build AI solutions entirely with European technology?
European technology options already exist in many areas, though the biggest limitation today is computing capacity.
If Europe had to replace global cloud services entirely right now by European solutions, the available capacity wouldn’t cover all use cases. Also processors for large‑scale computing are still mainly produced by US manufacturers.
However, for typical SME use cases, the available European capacity is sufficient. When the number of users is limited and response time requirements are reasonable, solutions can be implemented in a fully European environment. EU‑based infrastructure options exist, such as Hetzner, UpCloud and OVH. European language models can also be expected to improve rapidly following eg. OpenEuroLLM initiative.
With the right sizing and a deliberate architecture, solutions built entirely on European technology can meet SME needs very well.
Can dependency risk be reduced by moving automations or AI solutions to another provider’s platform?
Yes. Dependency decreases immediately once the company has real experience and competence in alternative environments. Even a small experiment can be the first step.
Open‑source tools such as Robot Framework and n8n provide viable options for SME automation needs. They offer transparency and clearer control for the company itself. That said, automations cannot usually be moved “as is”. Transitioning requires reviewing and prioritising existing processes which also gives the opportunity to simplify workflows that may have become complex over the years. In that sense, the benefits are twofold: reduced dependency and better processes.
Ai4Value IS HAPPY TO help
At Ai4Value, we build AI solutions without locking clients into a single platform. Our solutions run in the customer’s environment and according to their requirements including fully local deployments when needed, without any cloud services.
For many SMEs, the most practical first step is a limited pilot in an alternative environment. This gives a realistic view of how the solutions behave and what a broader transition would involve. Not everything must be moved: designing new solutions to be platform‑agnostic already strengthens the company’s long‑term position.
If you want to understand which options are available and what a more flexible architecture would require, reach out as we’re happy to support you.