French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a €500 million package to create five to 10 clusters in France, bringing together universities and companies, and two or three world-class centres of excellence. Speaking at the VivaTech technology trade show in Paris, Macron called for French AI champions to compete in generative AI, capable of creating texts such as ChatGPT. He also said the country needed to create language processing models to rival those of OpenAI and Google, and that to achieve this, France had to create databases in French in order to avoid any biases inherited from the Anglo-Saxons.
The funding would also be used to increase computing capacity needed to train AI models. Macron said €50 million had been earmarked to quadruple the capacity of the Jean-Zay supercomputer and another €500 million to create an Exascale, at European level, by 2025. Macron did cite concerns over ambitious regulation that is a high risk of hampering innovation.
The President said it was important to both regulate and innovate with artificial intelligence and that the French state would have to open up its databases, stating his belief in open source. By doing so, Macron believes AI will gain momentum and alongside this France will attract private investment in generative AI challenge. Macron also highlighted that he saw the use of the French language as a sovereignty issue and an example of cultural soft power, so French databases must be used for generative AI to avoid any inbuilt Anglo biases.
Macron added that France had already begun investing €1.5 billion in the field of AI. In addition to these initiatives, Macron also underscored the need to produce French champions in the new wave of semiconductor innovation, for which the French State is investing an additional €2 billion.
This funding announcement comes after Mistral AI, a start-up founded by engineers from Google DeepMind and Meta, raised €105 million in this sector, with Macron also announcing a major generative AI challenge with €40 million in public funding.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related to the Above News
What did French President Emmanuel Macron announce at the VivaTech technology trade show?
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a €500 million package to create five to 10 clusters in France, bringing together universities and companies, and two or three world-class centres of excellence for artificial intelligence (AI).
What type of AI models did Macron want French companies to compete in?
Macron called for French AI champions to compete in generative AI capable of creating texts such as ChatGPT.
Which language processing models did Macron want French companies to rival?
Macron wanted French language processing models to rival those of OpenAI and Google.
How did Macron plan to achieve this goal of creating French databases?
Macron planned to create databases in French to avoid any biases inherited from the Anglo-Saxons.
How will the funding provided by Macron be used to increase computing capacity?
€50 million has been earmarked to quadruple the capacity of the Jean-Zay supercomputer and another €500 million to create an Exascale, at European level, by 2025.
What is Macron's stance on regulating AI?
Macron believes that it is important to both regulate and innovate with artificial intelligence, and that overly ambitious regulation is a high risk of hampering innovation.
What is Macron's opinion on open source?
Macron believes in open source and stated that the French state would have to open up its databases in order to spur innovation in the field of AI.
How much has France already invested in AI?
France has already begun investing €1.5 billion in the field of AI.
What other area does Macron see as important for French innovation?
Macron also underscored the need to produce French champions in the new wave of semiconductor innovation, for which the French State is investing an additional €2 billion.
What recent funding announcement preceded Macron's AI funding package?
Mistral AI, a start-up founded by engineers from Google DeepMind and Meta, raised €105 million in this sector.
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