France is reportedly making a major push to position itself as Europe’s hub for artificial intelligence, which will see it challenge the U.S. and China which are global leaders in the AI space.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed plans to invest in training and research, noting that France is well-positioned in AI due to its access to talent and startups forming around the technology.
He said, “Believe me this is clear that the U.S. is number one for good reason because it is a huge domestic market. France doesn’t have an AI giant like the U.S. but wants to create two or three big global players in technology. I want us to bridge the gap and invest more, develop much more, and accelerate much more”.
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Macron also announced €500 million last week, in new funding to create AI champions and praised projects targeting French speakers, as concern grows about Silicon Valley firms fueling English-language domination of AI systems.
Recall that Macron in 2018, disclosed that his government would invest €1.5 billion into artificial intelligence research until the end of 2022 as part of a strategy to accelerate innovation. Also, in a bid to reverse a brain drain and catch up with the dominant U.S. and Chinese tech giants.
Part of France’s pitch is to be an AI hub that leads on regulation around the technology. The French President has urged the European Union (EU) to pass AI regulations as soon as possible but cautioned against regulating without investing. “The worst scenario would be a Europe that invests much less than the Americans and the Chinese but starts by creating regulation”, he said.
Macron seeks to transform France into a start-up nation, noting that easing labor laws and higher investment technology will create jobs, alleviate the domination of Alphabet’s Google, and Facebook, and lay out the seeds for Europe-based champions.
Notably, the United States currently dominates the AI space with big names such as Microsoft which integrated OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT into its product, and Chipmaker Nvidia which recently crossed a $1 trillion valuation. The U.S. has long benefited from a well-established tech culture, with over $10 billion in venture capital currently being channeled toward AI.
The AI trend has been hailed as the next industrial revolution, which is rapidly transforming the world beyond recognition. The current trends of Artificial Intelligence are hailing industries across different countries.
Developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries are all focusing on AI adoption for better futuristic opportunities and development. While AI technology is being developed by different companies across the globe, some major AI powers are working hard on winning the race.
It is interesting to note that last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pitched the U.K. as a global center for AI safety, and the next Silicon Valley, seeking to position the country as a leader in the regulation of the technology. He said, “I want to make the U.K not just the intellectual home but the geographical home of AI safety regulation”.
As AI is transforming tech industries across the globe, many countries see AI as providing a competitive edge economically. Also, experts suggest that AI technology will be useful in warfare, as it can be used to develop cyber weapons and control autonomous tools like drone swarms fleets of low-cost quadcopters with a shared ‘brain’ that can be used for surveillance as well as attacking opponents.
Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin years ago warned that any country that leads in technologies using artificial intelligence will rule the world.
In his words,
“Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”
As the competitive AI arms race accelerates into the future, it is vitally important that all countries be involved to ensure that the technology’s benefits are shared equally by all nations. AI can unlock tremendous advances in mobility, healthcare, and countless other areas.