France has unveiled perhaps Europe’s boldest AI strategy, forcing a global rethink. Aligning with an AI power is now more challenging.
While France aims to lead global AI, several blindspots risk pushing it into the status quo it wants to avoid—loss of sovereignty, competitiveness, and strategic positioning between the US and China.
France has long been an investment hub. This makes its partnership with the UAE—drawing up to $50 billion to build Europe’s largest AI data centre—a natural move. However, sustainable AI infrastructure has a serious pitfall. Data centres now account for nearly 1% of global emissions. By 2030, data centre CO2 emissions could approach 40% of US annual output. On one hand, France aims to lead in sustainable AI; on the other, it is building infrastructure that may trigger “green alarm bells.” Moreover, member states could wield the Paris Climate Accords against Paris, arguing that French AI projects jeopardize climate commitments. This creates a convergence between AI, climate solutions, and geopolitics.
To lead in “green AI,” France should adopt a national framework for sustainable data infrastructure. The framework should set clear standards for energy efficiency and resource conservation in data centres. It could also build a clean energy grid to power AI data centres—linking with India via solar energy to strengthen one of its most strategic relationships. By incentivizing renewable energy integration and investing in breakthrough technologies that avoid large language models, France could become the first country to tackle modern AI’s high water and energy demands.
France faces a critical data challenge. Global high-quality data is dwindling, with some estimates predicting a shortage by 2026. This is alarming for a nation aiming to lead in AI, given that only 4.4% of internet data is in French. As quality data shrinks, AI companies will increasingly rely on synthetic data. What does this mean for France? It has two options: rely on imported synthetic data—likely from the US or China—or establish its own synthetic data ecosystem to boost research and overcome issues such as model collapse. This could transform a looming crisis into a strategic advantage, positioning France as a new “data leader” and fueling its rise as an AI power by exporting a foundational resource: synthetic data.
Another blindspot is France’s push to deregulate AI, which may conflict with EU policies. Although the EU calls for reduced red tape, Brussels will not reverse regulatory regimes such as the EU AI Act. Depending on France’s plans, European regulations could pose obstacles. This friction risks a fragmented Europe, with some regions pushing for rapid Silicon Valley-style innovation while others favor a slower pace. France could establish a form of “regulatory sovereignty” within the EU to shield its economic model and geopolitical strategy.
Lastly, as France aims to become a global AI power, it must decide what kind of AI to export. This goes beyond green AI or synthetic data—it concerns the ideology embedded in its AI models. As a democracy and republic, France naturally champions certain values and ideals. If France imbues its AI with ideology, it risks clashing with the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, and others who also champion “democratic AI.” Its stance could further strain ties with close allies—especially those who rejected the Paris AI Summit declaration. In building “democratic AI,” Paris risks echoing nationalist overtones.
French President Macron is clear: Europe lags behind America and China in the AI race. While reducing regulations and attracting investments signal France’s ambition, in a vertically integrated world, the nation’s AI footprint remains limited. If France can address these blindspots, it could offer an alternative to American and Chinese models.