Macron, Vance among World Leaders attending AI Summit in Paris
US Vice President JD Vance represents American interests in Paris (Wikimedia Commons).
Political and technology leaders were in Paris to discuss the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on February 10 and 11, 2025. The primary concern was the collaboration of states, civil society, and tech companies to discuss the future of AI for the world, according to Elysee.fr.
The summit opened with French President Emmanuel Macron presenting a series of deepfakes of himself, emphasizing how AI can “disrupt” labor markets and society.
After much criticism on its heavy regulatory practices which stifle innovation, Macron promised that Europe and specifically France will cut down on regulation, encouraging investment in the European Union (EU) and France, per Reuters. Macron’s promise was substantiated by EU Digital Chief Henna Virkkunen’s commitment to the simplification of rules in the EU.
The new Trump-Vance administration in the United States has similarly cut AI barriers to stimulate innovation and competitiveness in the United States. Vice President Vance gave a fiery speech in Paris, in which he stressed that AI has significant benefits, that its risks can be mitigated, and that the United States and its tech companies should lay the groundwork for the industry, according to Fast Company.
Vance communicated the need for an international regulatory regime that supports creating AI rather than suppressing it, which would involve tech companies self-regulating on AI security instead of being subject to strict rules. Vance pushed growth-oriented policies rather than safety concerns. He also emphasized that Western countries should collaborate rather than compete with the United States on AI, according to NBC Philadelphia.
However, most countries did not seem to agree with Vance’s opinion on the issue. Many countries, including France, India, and China instead pledged an “open”, “inclusive”, and “ethical” approach to the technology’s development, according to The Guardian.
The United States refused to sign this declaration, in line with Vance’s stance of not being “overly precautionary.” The UK joined the U.S in refusing to join the declaration, claiming it is too restrictive and neither sufficiently answers harder questions on national security nor provides practical clarity on global governance, per Financial Times.
Macron later seemed to contradict his own promise of cutting down regulation, when he defended the need for more regulation, saying that “we need these rules for AI to move forward,” according to BBC.
The question of AI growth and security has taken Europe by storm. Businesses view Europe as a continent of too much regulation, per The Week. European officials have scrambled to drive investment in Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been outspoken on the need for increased investment to power Europe’s AI industry. However, Europe has been unable to detach itself from its priority of safety and regulation, according to AINEWS.
Von der Leyen also commented that the AI race is far from over. The tensions over AI have been exacerbated by major world events such as the recent US election and China’s rise in the industry, according to CNBC.