Following the French AI Summit, the international landscape of official government regulation is becoming set. At the event, French President Emmanuel Macron took to the stage with other world leaders, such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Industry leaders, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, to address how France and its collaborators should address the emerging industry.
According to Macron, the global leader wants Europe to reduce AI regulation, allowing businesses and end-users to leverage the technology more easily. Moreover, Macron declared Clara Chappaz as France’s first AI Minister.
Macron said:
This is the equivalent for France of what the US announced for Stargate. – More seriously, with artificial intelligence, we can do some very big things: change health care, energy, life in our society. France and Europe must be at the heart of this revolution to seize every opportunity and also to promote our principles.
In his speech, Macron mentioned the mammoth Stargate deal, a $500 million deal that the US Government leads alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and international investors to keep the future of technology within the United States.
The reference appears to be a nod toward creating an EU-side equivariant of freedom for AI progression. Notably, solutions such as OpenAI’s Operator platform are notably delayed for EU regions, and Macron’s comments could indicate an activity to help AI break out into the region for OpenAI and others.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also noted that the Paris AI Summit leaders wish to “embark on the AI revolution before us with the spirit of openness and collaboration but to create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that foster creation,” noting that while Macron wants to foster less regulation, ethics seem to be core to that vision none the less.
On the flip side, JD Vance reacted by stating:
The United States of America is the leader in AI, and our administration plans to keep that. – The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety. It will be won by building.
Tensions are high, still. Macron looks to boost the influence of AI power in the EU, perhaps creating a regulatory competition between the EU and the US. Interestingly, however, the UK does not seem on board with this move.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the UK government would only ever “sign up to initiatives that we judge to be in our national interest.” Currently, the UK Labour government is working on an AI Playbook that looks to rebuild public services; despite not jumping on board yet, the UK government said it would “continue to work closely with international partners,” according to Starmer, perhaps painting a picture of the future of England’s AI Playbook.
Words from Narendra Modi
As mentioned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took centre stage during the AI Summit, highlighting how the EU regulatory moves will reach beyond the EU region; he stated, “We are at the dawn of the AI age, which will shape the course of humanity.”
Modi was also quoted as saying:
AI is developing at an unprecedented scale and speed. It is being adapted and deployed even faster. There is also a deep interdependence on border. There is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that upload our shared efforts, address risks and fuel trust.
“AI is already reshaping our quality, economy, security and even our society,” remarked Modi, who noted that AI governance does not just rely on managing “risks and rivalries,” but it also relies on “promoting innovation and deploying it for the global good.“
Modi also added that the regulatory approach outlined at the French AI Summit “can help create a world in which the journey to Sustainable Development Goals becomes easier and faster. ”
Modi remarked:
We must pull together resources and talent. We must develop open source systems that enhance trust and transparency. We must build quality data sets freed from biases. We must also ensure that tech is rooted in local ecosystems for it to be effective and useful. The high energy intensity of AI needs to be looked into. This will require green power to fuel inclusion.Today, India leads in AI adoption and techno-legal solutions on data privacy. We are developing AI applications for public good and have one of the world’s largest AI talent pools. India is building its own large language model, considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like computing power, making it available to our startups and researchers at an affordable cost.
The Future
With the EU, UK, and US cementing separate stakes in the AI industry, the ongoing effects on international technology leadership will take shape over the course of the year.
The France Summit showcases how some regional leaders are coming together to progress towards united goals while others are isolated for the time being.
The future of AI cannot be defined; however, with the amount of money and potential circulating around the AI landscape, governments will more than likely look to lead the space going forward.
