France unveils €109 billion artificial intelligence plan

France will attract €109 billion in data centers and AI projects in the coming years, making it the first European country to have AI infrastructure comparable to the US and China, President Emmanuel Macron announced.

Ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, which began on February 10 in Paris, France appears determined to overcome European hesitancy regarding AI, achieving an unprecedented level of investment in the region.

India is co-hosting the summit. Expected attendees include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and US Senator J.D. Vance.

On Friday, the Élysée Palace announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would invest €30 to €50 billion to build a major data center in France. This was followed by Canada’s Brookfield announcing a €20 billion investment in French artificial intelligence infrastructure. In a Sunday interview with France 2, Macron stated that with anticipated investments from French companies Iliad, Orange, and Thales, France will reach a total of €109 billion for artificial intelligence.

“The main message we want to send is this: France and Europe are reliable in artificial intelligence, and we believe in it,” Macron said.

Referencing a purported $500 billion OpenAI program, Macron described the French investment as “the equivalent for France of what the US announced with ‘Stargate’.”

To promote the summit, Macron released a series of AI-generated videos featuring himself in various roles. One video depicts Macron dancing to French singer Desireless’s 1980s hit “Voyage Voyage”. In another, he appears in a spy comedy film reminiscent of the adventures of a French secret agent played by Jean Dujardin. A third video shows him imitating the French artist Nekfeu, rapping and dancing.