🎙️ 31 million euros lost: A blow to AI research in Spain?

🤖 Exclusive interview with German Rigau, Deputy Director of the Basque Research Center for Language Technologies and Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV)

German Rigau Claramunt, Deputy Director of the Basque Research Center for Language Technologies and Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of the Basque Country (UPV). He is one of the scientists who has raised an outcry over the cancellation of research grants by the Ministry of Science, affecting 15 projects worth €31 million, which would have funded the hiring of 300 researchers for two years.

Question: The cancellation of €31 million in European funds for multidisciplinary AI research at Spanish universities — do you think it’s due to incompetence, political will, or bad faith?
German Rigau: They haven’t explained it. The official resolution states:
“During the administrative procedure for its resolution, unforeseen circumstances arose that ultimately made it technically impossible to finalize this call.”

Q: How many people, universities, and projects are directly affected?
GR: We don’t know for certain. Approximately 15 projects worth €2 million each, and around 300 research contracts for two years.

Q: Which fields of research were these now-cancelled projects focused on?
GR: The projects covered crucial areas such as:

• Theoretical and technical challenges in AI: Understanding the mathematical and computational foundations of AI and proposing frameworks for future technologies.
• AI and cognition: Innovative ideas inspired by cognitive science to better understand natural intelligence in cognitive, embodied, and social dimensions.
• Advanced AI algorithms: Developing more robust metrics for explainability, reliability, and trust in AI systems.
• AI in physical systems: Embedding AI into machines to enhance control, resilience, security, and self-optimization.
• Human-AI interactions: New approaches to interfaces and collective intelligence environments.
• Social and political challenges in AI: Exploring AI’s impact on democratic systems and governance.
• Environmental impact of AI: Research on green algorithms and related topics.
• Language and quantum technologies: Applying AI to both fields and exploring their synergies.
• Interdisciplinary applications: Connecting AI to other scientific disciplines.

Q: Can this decision be reversed?
GR: We certainly hope so!

Q: Do you believe that recent changes in ministries and ministers, especially under the PSOE and Podemos-Sumar coalition, influenced this decision, or is it purely bureaucratic?
GR: This call was originally under the Ministry of Universities, which was later integrated into the current Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Q: Have European institutions been addressed? Do you believe the €31 million can still be recovered?
GR: Yes, we hope so!

Q: These funds were seen as a leap forward to position Spain at a European level in AI research. What impact will this cancellation have on Spain’s international image and the morale of researchers?
GR: This was a unique opportunity to create new dynamics and synergies among diverse research groups. Expectations and enthusiasm were very high — these projects were exceptionally well-funded.
However, we don’t yet know the broader impact this decision might have within the European Union if the call is ultimately cancelled.

Q: Is it credible that the cancellation is linked to diverting funds to rebuild infrastructure damaged by the DANA storm in Valencia? Could Europe approve such a reallocation?
GR: Rebuilding after DANA requires significant resources, but reallocating budget lines is not straightforward — it also needs European approval.

Q: If no solution is found, what could this mean for multidisciplinary AI research in Spain?
GR: The world is making massive investments in AI because it has the potential to transform all aspects of society. If we fail to invest, we risk losing another critical space in technological sovereignty.