German search engine ditches Mistral, bets on Chinese open-source AI

BERLIN — A Berlin-based search engine used by government services is dropping its French AI partner, Mistral, in favor of open-source models, including those from China, its CEO told POLITICO.

“We are disappointed with the quality of Mistral,” Ecosia founder and CEO Christian Kroll said in an interview, stating that the models from France’s flagship AI lab are now “a year behind” the competition.

Ecosia — a German web browser and search engine that has built its brand on support for climate action and independence from non-European tech — is used by institutions ranging from Germany’s federal environment ministry to the U.K.’s National Health Service.