Leaders from the political and tech sectors are scheduled to gather in Paris on Monday for a two-day conference on artificial intelligence, aiming to reach a consensus on a technology that could significantly impact global business and societal structures.
Co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting's goals include "mapping" global AI governance, promoting more ethical, accessible, and cost-effective AI, and advocating for European control over the technology.
Monday's gathering of approximately 1,500 attendees at the luxurious Grand Palais in the French capital will feature talks and panel discussions highlighting the benefits and hurdles associated with AI, starting from around 9:30 am (0830 GMT).
High-ranking government officials, including US Vice President JD Vance and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, are expected to mingle with leading figures from the tech world, such as OpenAI's Sam Altman and Google's Sundar Pichai.
Two years after the appearance of OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, which can respond to all kinds of natural-language prompts, Macron on Sunday highlighted the advantages of artificial intelligence and French contributions in the field.
'Stargate' sets the pace
He stated in a TV interview that there will be an investment of "109 billion euros ($113 billion) in artificial intelligence in the coming years" in France.
The funds would come from the United Arab Emirates, "major American and Canadian investment funds" and French companies, Macron stated.
Sunday's 109-billion-euro figure is "the equivalent for France of what the US has announced with 'Stargate'," the $500-billion US program led by ChatGPT maker OpenAI, he added.
The technical hurdles and investment required for countries seeking to remain competitive in the AI space have become more defined in recent weeks.
Chinese startup DeepSeek surprised Silicon Valley investors with its low-cost, high-performance artificial intelligence models.
In the United States, President Donald Trump has lent his presidential authority to the "Stargate" project, which aims to establish a computing infrastructure, including data centers.
These massive structures consolidate in one location the data storage and processing capabilities required to develop and operate the most sophisticated AI models.
"The European Union must assume a stance, seize the initiative, and regain control," stated Sylvain Duranton, a representative of the Boston Consulting Group.
The European Commission's head, Ursula von der Leyen, is anticipated to unveil approximately 10 public supercomputers for use by researchers and startups during the meeting.
Global governance puzzle
Away from the flashy investments, a group of countries, companies, and philanthropic organizations announced on Sunday that they would invest $400 million in a partnership called "Current AI", aimed at promoting "public interest" approaches to the technology.
Current AI aims to raise up to $2.5 billion for its mission to provide AI developers with greater access to data, offer open-source tools and infrastructure for programmers to build upon, and "develop systems to assess AI's social and environmental impact".
"We have witnessed the negative consequences of unchecked technological advancements and the significant potential for positive change when technology is developed with the public's best interests in mind," said Current AI founder Martin Tisne.
Tomorrow, political leaders from approximately 100 countries will attend a plenary session, featuring notable participants such as Modi, Vance, Zhang, and Von der Leyen.
France hopes governments will reach a consensus on voluntary commitments to ensure AI is environmentally sustainable.
However, reaching a consensus may be difficult among entities as diverse as the European Union, the United States, China, and India, each having distinct priorities for technological advancement and regulation.