Germany’s Digital Minister Slams AI Act Complexity

Germany’s new digital minister, Karsten Wildberger, criticized the EU AI Act as overly complex and burdensome in an interview with Tagesspiegel, while endorsing the Commission’s multi‑billion‑euro plan to build large-scale AI training hubs, dubbed “AI gigafactories.” He argued that, although risk management is essential, the Act’s implementation mechanics are excessively bureaucratic and risk stifling innovation.

Wildberger said he will leverage the Commission’s upcoming “digital simplification” track in the autumn to push for changes that make the AI Act more innovation‑friendly. His remarks indicate potential support for streamlining conformity assessments, narrowing high‑risk classifications, and simplifying documentation and post‑market monitoring duties without diluting core safeguards.

Defending the gigafactory concept against skepticism from SAP and Siemens, Wildberger stressed that Europe should capitalize on large data centers equipped with up to 100,000 high‑end AI chips to close capability gaps with global competitors. He highlighted that while incumbents are vital, breakthrough innovation frequently comes from startups that could benefit from shared compute infrastructure and reduced entry barriers.

He also called for stronger German engagement at the EU level to shape implementation guidance, standards, and funding instruments. For practitioners, the signal is twofold: expect political pressure to prune administrative layers in the AI Act’s rulebook, and anticipate accelerated EU investment in compute capacity that may influence compliance strategies, foundation model obligations, and the startup ecosystem.