As technological and regulatory rivalries are exacerbating in this fast-growing field, this will be a challenging event. On Monday, February 10, and Tuesday, February 11, France is hosting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, at a time when Donald Trump and the American tech giants are on a mission to dominate the sector in the face of China, and is challenging European regulatory ambitions.

The event brings together dozens of world leaders and a thousand researchers, NGOs and companies, including American heavyweights – from OpenAI to Meta and Google, as well as French companies Mistral, Helsing, Pigment, Alan and Owkin. Although Elon Musk's visit, the much-contested owner of X and Trump adviser, had not been confirmed on the eve of the summit, the American vice president, JD Vance, will be present, as will the Chinese prime minister, Ding Xuexiang.

The diplomatic stakes are obviously high, although the fierce competition generated by these technologies, particularly between the US and China, complicates any joint approach. In mid-January, French President Emmanuel Macron chose to co-chair the summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "It's a strong message that there is an AI development path for emerging countries, alongside Europe in particular," said Anne Bouverot, Macron's special envoy at the summit. "Are we ready to fight to be fully autonomous, independent, or are we letting the competition be reduced to a battle between the US and China?" Macron asked in an interview with the regional press on Friday.

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