Last month, ASML announced a massive investment in the French AI company Mistral. According to TU/e AI expert Víctor Sánchez Martín, the acquisition is strategically valuable. “This is essential if ASML wants to maintain its lead”.
Strategy
AI is one of the key areas where ASML clearly wants to stay ahead of the race. This is also a topic where the tech giant collaborates extensively with the TU/e.ASML’s machines also require a huge amount of complex code to function. Sánchez believes AI could be very useful in this area. “That’s where Mistral’s expertise can really help ASML. What’s happening now with the software is that AI helps to improve the code and hence the performance efficiency of the machines”, says Sánchez.
On-site
ASML always sends a team along with a machine to a customer to ensure everything works properly on-site. By applying artificial intelligence, ASML can better predict which parts need maintenance. This can prevent machines, which should normally be in continuous production, from needing to be shut down less often or for shorter periods.
Feedback
In addition, ASML stands to gain a great deal of knowledge when AI can be used to analyse the machines. “Companies like Intel, TSMC, Samsung, major chip manufacturers, are already continuously tweaking ASML machines to ensure they work better, faster, or more accurately”.
The results are already being fed back to ASML, allowing the company to improve its machines further. AI is crucial for making this feedback process more efficient, and ASML’s customers also benefit from it.
World stage
Rising tensions on the global stage also made purchasing from Mistral essential, Sánchez explains. “If ASML wants to maintain its lead, it’s increasingly necessary to use artificial intelligence to keep the complexity of the code manageable”.
But if you use AI to improve your code, you run the risk that the company providing the AI—whether it’s ChatGPT or DeepSeek —will use that knowledge to train its next-generation AI. This could expose your company to sensitive information.
By working with Mistral, ASML at least keeps its corporate information on European soil, the director reasons. “By buying into Mistral, you also gain some influence within that company. Furthermore, sensitive information is also kept within Europe, thereby strengthening European technological sovereignty”
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
