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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/strangnas-poised-to-become-northern-europes-ai-capital/

Sweden

Strängnäs poised to become Northern Europe’s AI capital

The future of AI

Published June 6, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The cathedral in Strängnäs will soon have competition from a giant AI center.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Strängnäs, a municipality in Sweden, is preparing for one of the largest investments in its history. Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) plans to build one of Europe's largest artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the city.

The data center, which will be built on an area of approximately 350,000 square meters, will have a capacity of 750 megawatts – more than twice as large as previously planned. The project is expected to create over 1,000 permanent jobs and approximately 2,000 jobs during the construction phase.

The investment amounts to approximately SEK 95 billion (€8.7 billion) and is expected to take 10–15 years.

– Strängnäs has all the conditions to become the location of Northern Europe's first AI center. We can offer an excellent geographical location, we have a high level of education and good cooperation with the municipalities in the Mälardalen region, says Jacob Högfeldt (M), chairman of the municipal council in Strängnäs, to Datacenter-Forum.

Brookfield's European CEO, Sikander Rashid, highlights the importance of investing in AI infrastructure on a large scale.

– To be competitive in AI development and realize its economic productivity, it is important to invest at scale in the infrastructure that underpins this technology. This extends beyond data centers and into data transmission, chip storage and energy production.

Strängnäs part of a broader strategy

The investment in Strängnäs is part of Brookfield's broader strategy to invest around €20 billion in AI infrastructure in Europe, which also includes plans for large data centers in France and other countries.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has expressed his support for the investment on social media, emphasizing Sweden's long tradition of strong companies.

Translation of above tweet: "Sweden has a long tradition of innovation and strong companies. AI is an incredible force that will enable Sweden to remain at the forefront. That is why the government is now developing a comprehensive AI strategy – and why we appointed the AI Commission. We are now seeing results.

I welcome the announcement today by the Canadian company Brookfield that it plans to invest up to SEK 95 billion in a new AI center in Strängnäs. It will be one of the largest data centers of its kind in Europe. It is also one of the largest investments in AI infrastructure to date in our country. I am particularly pleased that it is in my hometown.

We have a fantastic tech scene, and the latest investments from companies such as Brookfield, Nvidia, and Microsoft are clear proof of that."

Sweden has competitive advantages that make the country attractive for large data center investments, including a relatively stable energy supply, high digital maturity, and proximity to academic hubs such as KTH and Uppsala University.

In addition, EU data protection regulations require sensitive data to be stored within the Union's borders, which increases demand for local data centers.

The investment in the AI center could make Strängnäs a central node in Europe's AI ecosystem and help strengthen Sweden's role in the global AI race.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/economy/record-layoffs-as-ai-takes-over-jobs-in-the-us/

Economy

Record layoffs as AI takes over jobs in the US

The future of AI

Published November 10, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

In October, American companies announced over 153,000 layoffs, the highest figure for the month in over 20 years. The increased use of AI technology is identified as a key factor behind the extensive workforce reductions.

The American outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that October 2025 became a record month for layoffs with over 153,000 jobs eliminated, nearly three times more than the same month the previous year.

The technology and warehouse sectors are hit hardest, where AI combined with weaker demand and increased costs contributes to the cutbacks.

– Some industries are correcting after the hiring boom of the pandemic, but this comes as AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs drive belt-tightening and hiring freezes, says Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

He also warns that those now losing their jobs will find it harder to quickly secure new employment, which could further weaken the labor market.

Extensive cutbacks at major companies

Companies such as Target, Amazon, Paramount Skydance, Starbucks, Delta Air Lines, CarMax, Rivian, and Molson Coors have collectively eliminated tens of thousands of positions.

For example, Amazon recently laid off 14,000 employees and Target approximately 1,800. Several companies cite automation as a factor, as well as the need to reduce middle management positions.

UPS has also increased its planned workforce reductions by 70 percent to 34,000 people, stating that higher productivity thanks to automation makes this possible.

In total, over one million jobs have been eliminated in the US so far this year. Plans for new hires are at their lowest since 2011, and many analysts expect a weaker labor market during 2025.

–It’s possible with rate cuts and a strong showing in November, companies may make a late season push for employees, but at this point, we do not expect a strong seasonal hiring environment in 2025, says Challenger in his report.

Government shutdown complicates matters

Additionally, it has been difficult to assess the US labor market's development due to the federal government shutdown in the country – which has now become the longest ever.

Official economic statistics have not been released since early October, including the Department of Labor's closely watched employment report, which includes unemployment figures and monthly wage development data.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noted during a press conference in October that private data cannot replace government figures, which are widely regarded as the gold standard for measuring the world's largest economy.

The continued absence of government figures may also negatively impact monetary policy and jeopardize future interest rate cuts in the US.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/musk-plans-data-centers-in-space-using-starlink-satellites/

Tech

Musk plans data centers in space using Starlink satellites

The future of AI

Published November 2, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Photo: Space X
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Elon Musk's space company SpaceX announces plans to build data centers in space based on Starlink satellites. Interest in space-based data storage is surging among tech giants as artificial intelligence demands increasingly more computing power.

Artificial intelligence is driving a growing need for data storage and processing power, prompting several tech companies to turn their attention to space. After former Google CEO Eric Schmidt acquired space company Relativity Space in May, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos predicted gigawatt-scale data centers in space within 10 to 20 years, Elon Musk is now entering the race.

In a post on social media platform X, Musk explained that SpaceX satellites could be used for this purpose. "Simply scaling up Starlink V3 satellites, which have high speed laser links would work. SpaceX will be doing this", he wrote in response to an article about the potential for space-based data centers.

Musk's announcement dramatically raises the profile of this emerging industry. SpaceX's Starlink constellation is already the world's dominant space-based infrastructure, and the company has demonstrated it can profitably deliver high-speed broadband to millions of customers worldwide.

Free energy and no environmental costs

Advocates for space-based data centers highlight clear advantages: unlimited and free energy from the sun, as well as the absence of environmental costs associated with building these facilities on Earth, where opposition to energy-intensive data centers has begun to grow.

Critics argue, however, that it is economically impractical to build such facilities in space and that proponents underestimate the technology required to make it work.

Caleb Henry, research director at analytics firm Quilty Space, believes the development is worth watching closely.

— The amount of momentum from heavyweights in the tech industry is very much worth paying attention to. If they start putting money behind it, we could see another transformation of what's done in space, he says in an interview.

Tenfold capacity

SpaceX's current Starlink V2 mini satellites have a maximum download capacity of approximately 100 Gbps. The upcoming V3 satellite is expected to increase this capacity tenfold, to 1 Tbps. This is not an unprecedented capacity for individual satellites – telecom company Viasat has built a geostationary satellite with the same capacity that will soon be launched – but it is unprecedented at the scale SpaceX is planning.

The company intends to launch around 60 Starlink V3 satellites with each Starship rocket launch. These launches could occur as early as the first half of 2026, as SpaceX has already tested a satellite dispenser on Starship.

— Nothing else in the rest of the satellite industry that comes close to that amount of capacity, Henry notes.

Exactly what a "scaling up" of Starlink V3 satellites would look like is not clear, but the development speaks for itself. The first operational Starlink satellites were launched just over five years ago with a mass of approximately 300 kg and a capacity of 15 Gbps. Starlink V3 satellites will likely weigh 1,500 kg.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/musk-praises-googles-quantum-breakthrough-starting-to-become-relevant/

Tech

Musk praises Google’s quantum breakthrough: “Starting to become relevant”

The future of AI

Published October 23, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Google's quantum computer chip Willow running the Quantum Echoes algorithm is 13,000 times faster than classical supercomputers.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Google has developed a quantum computing algorithm that, according to the company, opens up practical applications in areas including pharmaceutical research and artificial intelligence. The new algorithm is several thousand times faster than classical supercomputers.

Google announced on Wednesday that the company has successfully developed and verified the Quantum Echoes algorithm on its Willow quantum computing chip. The algorithm is 13,000 times faster than the most advanced classical computing algorithms running on supercomputers.

According to the company's researchers, Quantum Echoes could be used in the future to measure molecular structures, which could facilitate the development of new pharmaceuticals. The algorithm may also help identify new materials in materials science.

Another application is generating unique datasets for training AI models, particularly in areas such as life sciences where available datasets are limited.

— If I can't prove that data is correct, how can I do anything with it?, explained Google researcher Tom O'Brien about the importance of the algorithm being verifiable.

Details about Quantum Echoes were published in the scientific journal Nature. Entrepreneur Elon Musk congratulated Google on X and noted that quantum computing is starting to become relevant.

Alphabet's Google is competing with other tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft to develop quantum computers that can solve problems beyond the reach of today's computers.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/over-half-a-billion-chinese-users-embrace-generative-ai/

Tech

Over half a billion Chinese users embrace generative AI

The future of AI

Published October 22, 2025 – By Editorial staff
AI services are used for intelligent search, content creation, as productivity tools, and in smart hardware.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The number of users of generative artificial intelligence in China has increased sharply during the first half of 2025. In June, 515 million Chinese people had access to AI services – an increase of 266 million in six months, according to official Chinese figures.

The data comes from a report presented on Saturday by the China Internet Network Information Center. It notes that domestically developed AI models have become popular among users.

A survey included in the report shows that over 90 percent of users say they prefer Chinese AI models.

Generative AI is being used in areas such as intelligent search, content creation, productivity tools and smart hardware. The technology is also being tested in agriculture, manufacturing and research.

The majority of users are young and middle-aged with higher education. Among users, 74.6 percent are under 40 years old, while 37.5 percent hold college, bachelor's or higher degrees.

The report claims that China has become increasingly important in the global AI field. As of April, the country had filed approximately 1.58 million AI-related patent applications, representing 38.58 percent of the global total – the most in the world.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com