Paris is making every effort to become the European Union’s center for artificial intelligence. It is reported by CNBC with reference to local politicians.
During the Viva Tech conference, President Emmanuel Macron, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Digital Minister Jean-Noel Barrault expressed their support for the AI industry.
“I think we’re number one [в области искусственного интеллекта] in continental Europe and we need to accelerate,” Macron said.
He added that France intends to “invest like crazy” in training and research. In his opinion, the country already has access to talent and start-ups that have formed around technology.
While the US is considered the leader in AI in many ways, France is looking to catch up. The country does not have a tech industry giant like OpenAI, but the authorities want to create several “big global players,” Macron added.
“Trust me, it’s clear that the US is number one, and for good reason, because it’s a huge domestic market. I want us to close the gap and invest, develop and accelerate much more,” the president said.
Director of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Anton Dabur, believes that France will also face competition from other European countries – Germany and the UK.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, presented a plan for the development of the AI industry, for which the government plans to allocate £100 million ($125 million).
For France to succeed, it needs to “use artificial intelligence to develop economic areas in which it is already strong,” such as manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, Dabour explained.
“I think that fair competition between the US and Europe, as well as cooperation on some key points, is good for both countries,” Bruno Le Maire said.
Recall that in June, the French AI startup Mistral AI attracted a record investment for Europe in the amount of €105 million. The project positions itself as a competitor to the American OpenAI.
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