France's Macron calls for equal access to AI for all nations

Emmanuel Macron hails worldwide participation at AI summit in Paris, stresses need for dialogue to master science of artificial intelligence

The French president on Tuesday emphasized the need for artificial intelligence (AI) to be equally accessible to all countries, rejecting “any subjugation” from the fast-moving technology.

“We do not want any subjugation and we want just and open access to these innovations for the entire planet,” Emmanuel Macron told an AI summit that started Monday in Paris.

He added that building trust in AI and its spread is a challenge for governments, civil society, investors, and private actors.

“If we break this trust, then AI will divide the world,” Macron warned. “If we break this trust, it will not be adopted by several sectors and you will see that in a few years, we will have many citizens saying, ‘We do not want this’.”

He also stressed that individual privacy, security against cyber threats and fake information, and creativity must be ensured.

“We want a framework that prevents AI from being used for mass control or destruction,” Macron explained.

The international community’s challenge is to put AI in the service of humanity, the French president also said.

“I think this is the exact challenge ahead of us regarding AI: embracing the wonderful technological transformations, managing to master … AI and its implications in many sectors, and putting it in the service of humanity in a world jostled by more and more crises, but via open dialogue,” Macron added.

He stressed that the participation at the summit of heads of state and government, as well as researchers, civil society representatives, and entrepreneurs from India, the US, China, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, promotes “the possibility of having this dialogue … and understanding this science and putting it into the service of collective progress.”

The two-day international summit, co-chaired with India, brings together heads of state and government, tech titans, academics, and policymakers from over 80 countries to discuss ethical, political, and economic challenges surrounding AI.

High-profile participants include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and US Vice President JD Vance, among others.

Macron announced on Monday a €109 billion ($112 billion) investment in AI over the coming years.