The Eternal Debate: EU or US?
When companies run open-weight AI models, the question of where to physically locate the infrastructure inevitably comes up. In a recent thread on Reddit, users discuss the pros and cons of choosing a US or EU based provider for open weight models. A key takeaway from the discussion is that you should filter by region and choose dedicated instances over serverless setups to avoid long delays when models start up and shut down.
Compliance and the EU AI Act
Choosing a region isn't just about latency — it's also very much a matter of law. As explained in an overview of open-weight models, it's crucial that compliance and legal teams understand how the models fit into regulations like the EU AI Act. Because the trained weights are publicly available, self-hosting and deeper customization become possible, giving European companies better control over their data and regulatory compliance.
Practical Hosting Considerations
- Avoid serverless cold starts: Choose dedicated instances for stable performance.
- Regional requirements: Choose an EU-based provider to ensure data stays within the EU's legal framework.
- Self-hosting as control: Open weights let you inspect and modify the model, but require the right infrastructure.
At Liviate, we help you navigate these choices so you can run your open-weight models on European infrastructure, with focus on both performance and compliance.