French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled an ambitious plan to invest a staggering €109 billion (approximately $112 billion) in artificial intelligence over the coming years, aiming to position France at the forefront of global AI innovation.
In a televised interview on France 2, Macron described the investment as “the equivalent for France of what the United States announced with ‘Stargate’.” He highlighted that the funding will come from a mix of international and domestic sources, including the United Arab Emirates, major American and Canadian investment funds, as well as French companies.
Addressing questions about DeepSeek technology from the Chinese mainland, Macron stated that France has no intention of banning it. “I do not think it’s appropriate to ban a technology because of its country of origin,” he said, emphasizing that France does not share the approach of restricting technologies based on nationality.
As the world witnesses rapid advancements in AI, France is gearing up to host the AI Action Summit in Paris on February 10 and 11. The summit will focus on five major themes: public interest AI, the future of work, innovation and culture, trust in AI, and global AI governance.
According to organizers, the international summit will bring together representatives from nearly 100 countries and over 1,000 private sector and civil society stakeholders. Attendees have been selected based on their commitment to AI development and their enthusiasm to contribute to the global dialogue on the technology’s future.
