Reset Digital for Good I Fighting the Search Monopoly With an Open Source Index: An Interview With Michael Granitzer From OpenWebSearch

In a recent interview with Reset Digital for Good, our OpenWebSearch.eu project leader Michael Granitzer gave insights into why the already available pilot of the Open Web Index (OWI) is an essential cornerstone of European digital sovereignty. 

“Our mission is to break up the silo of a single search engine. We’re doing this by crawling the web, collecting web pages and preparing them to be consumed by search engines. Preparing them involves cleaning advertisements and navigation links, then extracting the main content. This index can be used by individuals or organisations to build their own search engines.” he states.

But Granitzer argues beyond traditional web search, which in itself is shifting more and more towards generative and agentic AI solutions. 

“…In an ideal scenario, the AI model is running on my machine and controlling my data. It’s a tool that helps me, conducts searches on my behalf and understands what I want to do. I’m talking about small language models rather than large language models. A model that helps me search, aggregate and synthesise information based on search endpoints that I choose.” he argues. 

A powerful web index as part of a larger web data infrastructure is a non-negotiable in that sense. 

Read the full interview here:

https://en.reset.org/fighting-the-search-monopoly-with-an-open-source-index-an-interview-with-michael-granitzer-from-openwebsearch/

 

Parliamentary Breakfast in Brussels with lots of food for thought

Earlier this month, a part of our team took to Brussels for a special occasion: At a Parliamentary Breakfast in the European Parliament, hosted by MEPs Alexandra Geese (The Greens/EFA) and Elena Sancho Murillo (S&D), we were given the chance to lay out to parliamentarians, accredited assistants, media representatives, researchers, industry stakeholders our reasons for urging Europe to implement a European Web Data Infrastructure – a crucial step towards digital sovereignty and competitive European Web services, including in the domain of AI.

At a get-together over coffee and breakfast, the event was kicked off with a strong statement by Elena Sancho Murillo, who emphasized that the European Web Data Infrastructure is a precondition for Europe’s AI sovereignty. In her view Europe must not accept that AI foundations be solely built outside Europe. Renate Nikolay (Deputy Director-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology at DG Connect) highlighted that direct access to data is fuel for everything that is to be done in AI. Alexandra Geese stated that the Open Web Search Initiative is seen as a cornerstone of tech sovereignty but also for democracy in Europe. She therefore issued her concerns over the fact that the OpenWebSearch initiative still needs to look for funding in Brussels at this point, instead of being backed up in their important work regarding the European Web Data Infrastructure and the Open Web Index without further delay.

Economic need for direct access to web data

An industry perspective was presented by Per Öster, who spoke on behalf of LUMI AI Factory. He argued for taking back control over web data and using it to the benefit of individuals, industry and research. For industrial players the power of data lies in making use of it. It is important to be able to process the data.
On behalf of OpenWebSearch.eu, our spokesman Stefan Voigt called for a clear legal basis and secure long-term funding of a European Web Data Infrastructure, explaining the manifold opportunities such an Infrastructure offers for Europe’s SMEs, industrial corporations and start ups. To boost digital sovereignty and competitiveness, Europe needs to enable sovereign large-scale access to Web data and this is what the European Web Data Infrastructure ensures.

Pursuing a holistic approach

In a subsequent lively discussion various aspects such as the current legal framework, micropayments for publishers/content creators, the need for talents in Europe who can make use of data, data sharing obligations pursuant to the Digital Markets Act, and the importance of objective data for democracy in the context of a multinational and multilingual European Union were addressed.

The Journey continues

After the event our team used the opportunity to hop on countless elevator rides in the Parliament building to introduce the project to further parliamentarians and their staff at their desks. Fortunately the topic has been well received.
We are now following up with the aim to bring the European Web Data Infrastructure into the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

Our time in Brussels was a great opportunity to again highlight the importance of a European Web Data Infrastructure for Europe’s sovereignty and competitiveness. Its importance has been understood and acknowledged, but we also need to see some action now, especially with regard to funding.

Europe must act now – fast and boldly!

 

Celebrating Europe Day 2024: A Call for Greater Collaboration and Digital Sovereignty

Today marks a significant moment in European history. On this day, we reflect on the signing of the Schuhmann Declaration in 1950, a pivotal event that fostered collaboration and peaceful relations between France and West Germany post-World War II, eventually expanding to include other European nations. This historic collaboration has shown us that unity is not just a counterbalance to competition, but also a means of creating emergence. However, there is a pressing need to enhance cooperation further, both in our physical and digital realms.

Europe’s Untapped Potential: A Blend of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Europe has the potential for excellence across many domains, and yet this potential is largely unleveraged due to the special linguistic and territorial situation we encounter.

Despite its compact size, the continent is rich with approximately 225 indigenous languages, presenting a ripe opportunity for innovation through linguistic and cultural diversity. The challenge remains to harness this diverse information and lived experiences, making them accessible to foster shared knowledge.

The Digital Challenge: Language Models and Internet Search

Predominantly, search engines and Large Language Models, which underpin generative AI, are skewed towards English, reflecting a broader trend of digital exclusion. And this is just one facet of the broader issue where non-English content often finds limited representation in internet search results.

But why is that? The root of this issue lies in the global dominance of major digital platforms. When it comes to Internet Search, currently there are only four major web indizes available—two in the United States, one in China, and one in Russia. Europe per se lacks an index of its own, that acknowledges the wealth of linguistic diversity. This gap underscores a critical lack of digital sovereignty, which could potentially stifle Europe’s societal, economic, and political progress.

Steering Towards a Solution with OWS.EU

In response to this challenge, we founded OWS.EU, a pioneering initiative aimed at developing a pan-European index that embraces our continent’s linguistic diversity. Launched in 2023, our OWLer crawler is already making strides by daily indexing websites from across Europe and beyond. As we reach the midpoint of this project, we are beginning to evaluate results from third-party collaborations, opening our infrastructure to beta testers, and continuously seeking further political and economic support.

Today, as we commemorate Europe’s past achievements, let’s also look forward to a future of enhanced collaboration and development. Celebrate Europe Day by reflecting on our shared history and the exciting possibilities ahead.

Most importantly, cave out some time today to celebrate Europe Day – both looking back and looking forward in the name of collaboration and development!