Macron Announces $112B AI Investment, Positioning France as AI Leader

French President Emmanuel Macron has revealed ambitious plans to invest 109 billion euros ($112.5 billion) in artificial intelligence in France over the next few years. This initiative aims to establish France as a European leader in emerging technology. The announcement was made ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris.

Macron emphasized the need for international cooperation and regulation in AI. He stated that AI should serve as an "assistant" rather than replace human jobs. The investment is France's effort to keep pace with global AI developments, including the U.S. initiative "Stargate". Macron said the investment is "exactly the equivalent for France of what the United States announced with Stargate".

The funding includes investments from the UAE, U.S., and Canada, as well as local companies. Canadian investment firm Brookfield plans to invest 20 billion euros in AI projects in France. The UAE is expected to contribute between 30 billion to 50 billion euros. Iliad has pledged to invest 3 billion euros in AI infrastructure. A significant portion of the funds will be allocated to constructing data centers. The UAE investment includes financing for a 1 gigawatt data center.

The AI summit in Paris, co-chaired with India, gathers world leaders, tech executives, and policymakers to discuss the ethical, political, and economic challenges of AI. Macron announced that up to 100,000 young professionals would be trained in AI-related fields. France is expected to announce a Paris-based institution focused on diversifying the AI ecosystem through infrastructure investments. Macron also launched “Current AI,” a $400 million international collaboration to advance AI "for the public good".

Brookfield’s 20 billion euro investment will target data centers and associated infrastructure. Data4, a Brookfield portfolio company, plans to build over 500 MW of data center capacity in France, with ambitions to triple that by 2030.