This week’s stories come from EU and USA, covering tech and sustainability

1-EU to build 6 AI factories

Last month, in a bid to strengthen its position in the intensifying global AI competition, the European Union (EU) unveiled a $206 billion investment aimed at expanding AI infrastructure, particularly in chips and data centers.

As part of this initiative, the European Commission recently designated six new locations for its upcoming AI factories.

The selected sites are in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, and Slovenia. With these additions to the seven previously chosen locations, Europe’s AI factory network now comprises 13 sites.

Each facility will have a distinct focus. Five of the six will incorporate supercomputers designed to enhance AI workloads. Some, like those in Germany and France, will cater to all industries, while others, such as Poland’s site, will emphasize academia along with the public and private sectors.

Austria’s factory aims to promote ethical, practical, and sustainable AI development, though details on energy use and water consumption remain unspecified.

The European Commission stated that by 2026, these AI factories will be central to Europe’s AI strategy, integrating computing power, data, and expertise to drive innovation and secure leadership in AI.(By the way I have a story here about France’s startup efforts)

This investment reflects a broader trend worldwide. The U.S.-based OpenAI-led Project Stargate, reportedly a $500 billion data center initiative, is one of the most notable efforts, though it represents only a fraction of AI-related investments in the U.S. France has committed $100 billion to data center expansion, and the U.K. is also pushing for widespread AI adoption.

EU to build 6 AI factories (Photo: European Commission)

2-Meta challenges ex-employee’s memoir ‘Careless People’

Meta secured a legal win this week against former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams, whose recently released memoir, Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, details her experiences at the company.

I read this story at TechCrunch and an arbitrator ruled that Meta has a legitimate claim that Wynn-Williams, who worked at Facebook (now Meta) from 2011 to 2017, may have breached the non-disparagement agreement she signed upon leaving. As a result, she is temporarily barred from promoting or facilitating further distribution of the book until arbitration is completed.

Macmillan, which published Careless People through its Flatiron Books imprint, asserted that the ruling does not affect the publisher and vowed to continue supporting and promoting the book. The company criticized Meta’s use of a non-disparagement clause to silence its author.

The book provides an insider’s perspective on Facebook, particularly its dealings with China and other governments. The New York Times described it as “darkly funny and genuinely shocking.” Wynn-Williams, who previously held a leadership role in global public policy at Facebook, reflected on her time at the company, saying it began with optimism but ended in “darkness and regret.”

Meta dismissed Careless People as a mix of outdated and false claims, asserting that Wynn-Williams was terminated eight years ago for poor performance. A company spokesperson clarified that while Facebook once explored opportunities in China, it ultimately abandoned the idea, which Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in 2019.

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, an ex-Meta employee

3-Women unlikely to achieve gender parity for 134 years

Despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in executive leadership, occupying only around 10% of top corporate positions like CEO and CFO worldwide.

I read this story article at ESGtoday and women have increased their participation in the global workforce beyond pre-pandemic levels. However, at the current pace, gender equality with men may not be achieved for another 134 years, according to a JPMorgan Chase study.

While women are securing homeownership at more than twice the rate of men, they still face a wage gap. In the U.S., working women earned just 83 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2023, according to JPMorgan, referencing Payscale data that excludes variables such as occupation, experience, and education.

JPMorgan emphasized that the persistent gender pay gap highlights the ongoing structural inequalities and the need for continued efforts to achieve fair compensation.

JPMorgan noted that women hold only about 10% of senior leadership roles like CEO, CFO, and COO globally. While female representation on corporate boards has grown—reaching a record 34% among S&P 500 companies—progress in U.S. board diversity has slowed in recent years. For instance, in the S&P 100, the share of women in C-suite roles declined from 12.2% in 2022 to 11.8% in 2023.

On a global scale, gender inequality remains substantial, with the gender gap currently at 68.5% across 146 countries. This measurement reflects disparities in political and economic participation, healthcare, and education. To close this gap by 2030, an estimated $360 billion in annual investment is required, according to United Nations data cited by JPMorgan.

Women unlikely to achieve gender parity for 134 years