Initially conceived as a forum for the major nations to discuss the countless economic, ethical and legal issues raised by the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the summit scheduled for February 10 and 11 at the Grand Palais in Paris is increasingly turning into a bodybuilder's version of a beauty contest. Everyone is showing off their billion-dollar muscles to demonstrate their strength and determination. As French President Emmanuel Macron remarked, everyone must defend their sovereignty and economic future in the current geopolitical mess. And to do this, it's necessary to invest and build industries as was done in the good old days of the computing and nuclear plans.

Today, the preferred term is ecosystem, a more biological and liberal reference. It includes the entire chain from basic producer to consumer. In the case of AI, it extends from the microchip to the smartphone app, via data centers. The awakening came from China with the electric car revolution. The West realized that the Asian superpower had built its domination on 20 years of state-organized efforts to control every link in the value chain, from cobalt mine to finished car.

You have 57.37% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.