The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris has kicked off with major announcements on investments, partnerships, and regulatory frameworks. The two-day event, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has brought together global leaders, industry executives, and scientists to discuss AI’s impact on international security, governance, and economics.
€150 billion AI investment initiative
A coalition of 20 major corporations, firms, and startups has committed to investing €150 billion in European AI over the next five years. Led by venture capital firm General Catalyst, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between investors and startups while working with the European Commission to streamline AI regulations. Companies such as ASML, Airbus, Spotify, Siemens, and Volkswagen have signed on.
New AI public interest foundation
Macron has launched Current AI, a foundation backed by an initial €387 million from the French government, philanthropists, and industry partners. It aims to increase AI transparency, expand dataset access, and measure social and environmental impacts. Eleven state governments, including France, Germany, and Finland, are supporting the initiative.
AI for defence and safety
French AI startup Mistral AI has partnered with European defence tech firm Helsing to develop AI systems for defence applications. Meanwhile, the ROOST initiative, backed by tech leaders from OpenAI, Discord, and Roblox, will create free safety tools to combat online threats and misinformation.
France’s €109 billion AI investment plan
Ahead of the summit, Macron pledged €109 billion for AI development, with support from the UAE and Canadian firm Brookfield. This funding aims to build Europe’s largest data centre campus and boost France’s AI infrastructure.
