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Artificial intelligence is the defining technology of the next decade, comparable to the internet in the 1990s. But until now, US and Chinese tech giants have dominated the market, setting the standards, controlling the infrastructure, and dictating the terms. Products like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Gemini have become synonymous with AI, but they come with hidden cost
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: opaque algorithms, questionable data flows, and a legal framework that extends far beyond Europe.
For years, European companies and institutions have had little choice but to use these foreign platforms. Yet as geopolitical instability rises and data protection standards tighten, that choice is increasingly risky. The US CLOUD Act still allows US authorities to access data stored by US providers, even in European datacenters.
Meanwhile, the EU’s AI Act now demands that AI systems are explainable, transparent, and fully compliant with GDPR. That’s a hurdle many US-based systems may not be able to clear.
Achim Weiß, CEO of IONOS, sums it up: “AI is becoming a basic technology. Those who don’t control it are giving up part of their sovereignty.”
The IONOS AI Model Hub, Europe’s answer to the AI question
With the IONOS AI Model Hub, one of Europe’s leading cloud providers is offering a powerful platform for generative AI. The platform is developed and operated in Germany, fully GDPR compliant, and transparent down to the last data packet. It uses leading open-source models such as Llama 3.3, Mistral, and the European Teuken-7B.
This sovereignty is crucial. IONOS processes no user data for training purposes. There are no secret transfers to third countries. No data is accessed by US intelligence agencies.
For companies and public institutions, the IONOS AI Model Hub is a game-changer. While proprietary AI systems from the US remain black boxes, the IONOS AI Model Hub offers full transparency and control.
“Data sovereignty begins with infrastructure. That’s why we’ve created the AI Model Hub, an ecosystem that puts European values into practice,” says Oliver Hessel, AI expert at IONOS
Powerful AI for practical use with nextcloud integration
Access to secure AI becomes even easier through IONOS’ partnership with Nextcloud, Europe’s most widely used open-source collaboration platform. The AI Model Hub integrates directly into the user interface. This enables companies, public authorities, and educational institutions to access text, translation, and image processing functions without data protection concerns and with complete visibility into data usage.
This blend of European infrastructure, open-source technology, and certified security represents a significant shift in the AI landscape. It makes IONOS the go-to choice for those seeking to implement AI strategically, responsibly, and securely.
IONOS GPT: a sovereign ChatGPT alternative
With IONOS GPT, IONOS goes one step further, launching a sovereign, European alternative to ChatGPT. Based on the IONOS AI Model Hub and developed and operated in Germany, the platform is tailored to specific business applications through its capability to process text, code, images, and research, without compromising data protection or political independence.
For many companies, this marks a turning point. Finally, they can use generative AI without facing the legal uncertainties or strategic dependencies associated with US providers.
The end of digital dependency
For too long, the AI market has been dominated by US and Chinese providers. But with platforms like the IONOS AI Model Hub and IONOS GPT, Europe is proving that it can keep pace technologically and even lead ethically.
Instead of black-box algorithms and vendor lock-in, IONOS offers openness, traceability, and full sovereignty. Developed and operated in Germany, it is tailored for Europe’s legal, economic, and social realities. And all at a price-performance ratio up to 50% cheaper than US hyperscalers with no hidden costs, no licensing chaos, and no sudden price jumps.
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Build cloud infrastructure – secure and sovereign for the future
Contributed by IONOS.