The French president Emmanuel Macron has triggered an important reflection on theartificial intelligence (AI) and its growing centrality in the future of global technologies, on the occasion of the summit on AI at Grand Palais in Paris. And he did it in a rather original way: a video on his social media channels in which the French president, thanks to the magic of deepfakes, transforms into a series of unlikely versions of himself.
Behind the irony, however, lies an important message. Macron aims to reiterate the central role of France and Europe in the revolution of artificial intelligence, imagining aInnovative yet responsible AI, which puts the human being at the center. And to give substance to this vision, the president has announced an ambitious plan: 109 billion euros of investments , training of 100 young French people in the AI sector – more than double the current 40.
Artificial Intelligence: Summit kicks off at the Grand Palais in Paris
Over two days, more than 1.500 political leaders, technology executives and researchers will gather to discuss how AI can shape the global future. The summit, co-chaired by France and India, will host dozens of boards rotunda e meetings on topics ranging from work to science, up to cyber security and will also see the participation of important leaders such as JD Vance (US vice president), Zhang Guoqing (deputy prime minister of China) and of course also the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
The summit is a key moment for Europe, which is trying to shape a “third way” between the two AI superpowers: the United States and China. “France and Europe must be at the heart of this revolution,” Macron said, stressing the need to compete with the $500 billion project Stargate American and with advanced technologies such as the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek, which amazed Silicon Valley with its low-cost efficiency.
France looks to data centers and training to lead tech revolution
Among the main announcements of the summit stand out the 109 billion euros of private investments by French and international companies. This ambitious plan includes the data center construction next-generation, essential for managing the huge amount of data needed for AI systems.
Among the flagship projects is the financing of 30-50 billion euros by the United Arab Emirates for an AI campus with a giant data center, and the commitment of the Canadian fund Brookfield with 20 billion euros for additional data centers in France. Macron stressed that these investments are not limited to technological infrastructure: “It is not just about training models, but about training people, creating research centers and building an ecosystem that allows France to grow.” Further details will be revealed during the event.
An ethical and sustainable governance of AI
But it's not just numbers. The Paris summit will also see the participation of some of the biggest names in the global tech industry, such as Sam altman by OpenAI, Sundar Pichai of Google e Dario Amodei by Anthropic. In addition to discussing the potential of AI for the future of science, work and society, leaders will also address the crucial question of global intelligence governance artificial, trying to find a balance between innovation and regulation. It is not just about developing AI, but doing so in a way that respects rights and the environment, without running the risk of excesses that could undermine the security or privacy of citizens.
An important initiative is the launch of “Current AI”, an international project sponsored by 11 leading companies, with a Initial investment of 400 million of dollars. The goal is to promote transparent and safe AI, focused on key sectors such as health and education, and capable of assessing the social and environmental impact of emerging technologies.
The great European opportunity
During the summit, plans for the creation of supercomputers dedicated to research, which will be accessible to European start-ups, which are essential for training AI models and fueling innovation. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, confirmed the importance of investing in these advanced technologies, while the United States and China continue to dominate the scene with their enormous resources. Europe is trying to start the engines, and France wants to be at the wheel.
