Recently we could read that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had a conference with Google’s CEO. They announced that Google will invest $5 million (yes!) to train one million Poles in AI, and that this is the beginning of the new chapter of the company’s involvement in Poland. The statement says that Google will help in strategic sectors (such as cybersecurity and energy).

Well, excuse me, but is 5 million USD enough to hold a conference with the Polish Prime Minister? C’mon…

I know there is a declaration of broader cooperation, but it all looks vague, and 5 million in the big tech sector is basically nothing. A few days later, Microsoft announced much larger investments in Poland (in the billions), which are a continuation of the expansion of its infrastructure in Poland.

All good, right? People have jobs, a lot of money is being invested in the country. Great!

But let’s look at it from another angle.

Cheap Talent #

American companies have long had a well-established strategy for poaching foreign talent. They pay well (in certain sectors, of course), they offer career prospects, basically they know how to attract talented people. Good for them, but is it really good for Europe? And in this case, for Poland? Talent drain was one of the topics at the AI summit in Paris. People who are well educated in Europe are building a US big tech empire. Well, not only in Europe, but this blog is about Europe, so let me focus on Europe. All the benefits of their work stay with American Big Tech. Which is understandable from the point of view of these companies, but not necessarily good for the countries they come from. One wonders if it would not be better for Poland if the same people who already work for Google in this country could work for the company that pays taxes in this country and ties its future to this place. They would never have the same opportunities as at Google - you might say. Maybe so. But maybe at some point it is better to have a few smaller but promising startups than to give everything to a foreign corp.

Please note that one of the reasons why many Western and US companies are present in Poland is that this country can provide relatively cheap skilled workers. For a long time this country has relied on this strategy, cities like Krakow, Warsow or Wroclaw are full of outsourcing centers. It certainly worked for a while and allowed many people to find a decent job. It also helped the country to finish the transformation from the communist period. However, let’s not forget that in this case Big Tech is doing a great deal by having talented people for less money. And is Poland still gaining so much? Perhaps it is time to start believing in one’s own powers, after all, Polish citizens are part of the force that allows Big Tech to grow. Like many Europeans, I consider Prime Minister Donald Tusk to be a pro-European politician. It is even more surprising to hear the former President of the European Council proudly announcing this 5 million (REALLY!) Google deal at almost the same time as the French President is stressing the importance of European investment in AI and technology. It all looks like someone is following the familiar path of being an outsourcing center for the big players. Or maybe it was some political PR mastermind who, noting that the Paris AI summit is important, wanted to show that “our country is also engaged in the idea”.

Digital sovereignty #

This brings up the second question: is it really wise to rely on US big tech in strategic sectors? Consider what is happening now in Ukraine, and the imperalistic policies and style of the current US president. Is it wise to trust them so much? What would Poland do if they decided to do something against Polish interests? Or will they be ordered to do so? Will the country have the means to oppose them? From this point of view, of course, public-private partnerships in strategic sectors can always be questioned. But even without falling into the cyberpunk obsession of “evil corporations running the world” is it particularly wise to rely on foreign or non-EU companies? Over-reliance on American technology is already a problem. Is it worth increasing it?

M

[UPDATE - 2025-03-09] I was told that the eagerness with which the Polish prime minister is trying to show that American companies are investing in Poland is related to the geopolitical situation. He was supposed to be counting on the fact that if the U.S. invests enough in Poland, it will also be sooner willing to stand up for the country. This is part of Poland’s startegy, which is simultaneously expanding its military and trying to strengthen alliances with Europe and the US.

I am unable to verify this, but it’s true that times are getting more and more turbulent.