Get this: Europe is falling behind in the AI race. That's the harsh truth according to French President Emmanuel Macron. He's not mincing words.

        Europe needs to catch up, and fast. Macron is pushing for an AI agenda. He doesn't want Europe to just use AI. He wants Europe to control its future.

        Why the rush?

         Macron believes Europe should be a leader, not a follower in AI technology. He fears Europe falling behind in AI technology.

         He fears that Europe's reliance on AI from US and China could be detrimental to Europe.

       Macron is making moves to change that. He’s hosting an AI summit in Paris. Remarkable as it may sound, Macon is making a noise to put France at the forefront of AI.

       Macron highlighted how Paris-based company Mistral, a potential rival to the US-based OpenAI, has launched a new app. This app is designed to achieve similar outcomes with lower computing power than its competitors.  Great as this sounds but now there's a new player in town. Chinese firm DeepSeek is on the scene, and it's a game-changer, and they are offering competitive pricing.

        Europe has the edge.  Macron pointed out that France, with its robust energy portfolio, is well-positioned to build data centers. He aims to make France's military facility going to have AI capabilities at scale to solve complex engineering and design problems.

       The Mont Valerien site is expected to be completed by fall of 2025 and will assist in solving complex engineering and design issues, such as the architecture of the next French aircraft carriers. Macron is also envisioning the use of AI to enhance military technologies and practices, like anti-drone jamming, according to the French Ministry of Defense.  That's a big deal, right?  Is it enough?

        Macron doesn't think Europe is up to speed regarding computing power. Right now, Europe has just 3-5% of the global computing power. Macron is looking to build 20% of the world's data centers. This would be a massive improvement. But he knows it won't be easy. He is pushing for Europe to have stronger financial backing, especially from the United States and Gulf Arab states.

         Macron wants Europe to be more competitive on the global stage.  Trump has been vocal about the US trade deficit with the EU. He has threatened tariffs. Macron disagrees with Trump's view on the trade deficit. Macron argued the trade deficit ignores Europe’s significant spending on digital services, which is often excluded from such calculations.

         How can Europe compete?

         Macron wants Europe to shield its producers from American and Chinese competition. He also wants to see regulations eased on investments. He wants to keep European savings in Europe.

         Macron is determined to stay in the race. He's fighting for a business environment that makes Europe competitive on the international stage.  He is pushing for a roadmap of reforms around AI startup regulations. He wants to simplify rules and make Europe more business-friendly.

        Macron's hope is that this week's summit will be a wake-up call. He wants Europe to step up and take control of its AI future.

Europe's AI Wake-up Call

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