Lisbon, Aug. 3, 2026 (Lusa) - The chief executive (CEO) of DE-CIX, Ivo Ivanov, emphasises that stakeholders should take the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) very seriously and highlights the Azores' strategic potential.
«The risks associated with AI must be taken very seriously, but a widespread slowdown would be difficult to define and almost impossible to implement at a global level,» says the government official, when asked about the subject.
«The best approach is responsible innovation, underpinned by clear rules, transparency, safety standards and accountability for high-risk applications,» and Europe must take an active role in advancing this approach, building the necessary capabilities, infrastructure and expertise to shape AI in line with European values, said Ivo Ivanov.
When asked about a possible slowdown in the development of artificial intelligence, the CEO of DE-CIX takes a different line.
«Rather than backtracking on AI development, Europe must ensure that innovation and accountability go hand in hand.» For DE-CIX, «this means providing secure, resilient and sovereign digital infrastructure, helping to create the conditions for responsible AI innovation to flourish», he told Lusa.
According to the CEO, «governments have a vital role to play in establishing safeguards, defining responsibilities and regulating high-risk AI applications».
However, he continues, «intervention must be targeted, evidence-based and coordinated at an international level».
Otherwise, «innovation may simply migrate to other regions, increasing Europe's technological dependence», he warned.
Europe needs both smart regulation and world-class digital infrastructure. DE-CIX does not decide which AI models should be developed; our role is to provide the secure, resilient and transparent connectivity that enables organisations to control where their data moves and where AI workloads are processed, he concluded.
Asked about the role of the Azores in connectivity, he emphasised that they «have the potential to become much more than just a geographical waypoint in the Atlantic».
With new submarine cable systems, such as Nuvem and Atlantic CAM (Mainland–Azores–Madeira), «the islands are strengthening their position as a strategic digital gateway between Europe, North America, Africa and Latin America», he noted.
This «improves the resilience and diversity of transatlantic connectivity, whilst creating new opportunities for the region», he added.
However, «cables alone do not create a digital hub. To generate lasting value, they need to be complemented by data centres, local networks, renewable energy, digital skills and neutral interconnection», he said.
At DE-CIX, «we see our role as connecting networks, cloud providers, businesses and AI platforms, helping to transform international connectivity into a thriving regional digital ecosystem, rather than simply a transit route», he concludes.
DE-CIX is one of the world's largest operators of Internet exchange points (IXPs), enabling direct interconnection between networks, operators and cloud services.
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