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Paris is hosting a major international AI summit, and it may be tackling a wider range of topics than similar events in the past. But despite the ambitious agenda, many are worried that the summit will end up being more talk than action.
A mix of world leaders, tech giants, academics, NGOs, and international organizations are currently attending the event. Co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the conference brings together big names from various fields to tackle a range of AI-related challenges.
Welcome to Paris, my friend @NarendraModi! Nice to meet you dear @VP Vance! Welcome to all our partners for the AI Action Summit.
Let’s get to work! pic.twitter.com/yatkrVYv9x
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 10, 2025
What is the AI summit?
The summit is exploring AI’s growing influence across various industries while working toward international governance frameworks. Key discussions cover AI’s impact on democracy, its environmental footprint, cybersecurity risks, and the spread of misinformation.
A major talking point is expected to be open-source AI, especially with the rise of DeepSeek, which has introduced a more cost-effective and energy-efficient foundational model, raising fresh concerns about data privacy.
There’s a new public-private partnership in the works called Current AI, kicking off with a solid $400 million in funding. The money is coming from a mix of sources, including the French government, Google, Salesforce, and big foundations like the MacArthur and Patrick J. McGovern foundations.
It’s also got support from several countries, including Chile, Finland, Germany, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
Current AI is said to be all about making high-quality public and private datasets more accessible, investing in open-source tools and infrastructure, and building systems to track AI’s social and environmental impact.
Key points raised so far
Kicking off the two-day AI summit, France’s AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, took the stage with a speech pointing out AI’s heavy environmental footprint. She noted that developing and running AI systems demands massive amounts of energy and resources, making sustainability a key concern in the discussions ahead.
Bouverot stated: “We know that AI can help mitigate climate change, but we also know that its current trajectory is unsustainable.”
At the #AIActionSummit, @CHoffmanUNI delivered a powerful message that we have important choices to make about the kind of future we want, and time is running out.
We must make sure that workers are shaping #AI.https://t.co/OFsWP7tqm6 pic.twitter.com/hUye2tffkw
— UNI Global Union (@uniglobalunion) February 10, 2025
Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of the UNI Global Union, also issued a strong warning at the summit, stressing that without worker involvement in AI’s development and deployment, the technology could deepen inequality. Representing around 20 million workers across industries like retail, finance, and entertainment, the UNI is pushing for AI policies that prioritize fair labor practices and worker protections.
Ahead of the summit, Macron took to Instagram on Sunday (Feb. 9) to drum up interest in the event using AI itself to make his point. He posted a montage of deepfake images, including a video of “himself” rocking various 1980s hairstyles while dancing in a disco. The playful post was a tongue-in-cheek nod to the power (and potential risks) of AI-generated content.
Great to see The Times picking up my piece, with new quotes from Stuart Russell criticising the draft statement as “negligence of an unprecedented magnitude” pic.twitter.com/zP1PXMbHs8
— Shakeel (@ShakeelHashim) February 10, 2025
The Paris AI Summit’s draft declaration that’s leaked on X seems optimized to antagonize both the US government (with focus on diversity, gender and disinformation) and the UK government
(completely ignoring the scientific and political consensus around risks from by… pic.twitter.com/nXtTjKx4xh— Max Tegmark (@tegmark) February 10, 2025
However, the event already faced some controversy. A leaked draft of the summit’s declaration has sparked backlash, with some experts saying it falls short of crucial safety commitments. Professor Stuart Russell, president of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, has been particularly vocal, calling out the draft for failing to address key risks in cybersecurity, biotechnology, and disinformation.
Max Tegmark, the scientist who spearheaded the 2023 open letter calling for a pause on developing powerful AI systems, took to X to share his thoughts on the draft: “Countries shouldn’t sign this, because it totally ignores the science.”
US policy towards AI
On Tuesday (Feb. 11), US Vice President JD Vance used his address at the summit to push back against what he called “excessive regulation” of the AI industry, warning that too much oversight could stifle innovation in this transformative sector. He also made it clear that a future Trump administration would prioritize keeping American-made AI systems free from ideological bias.
Vance’s stance shows a growing divide between US and European approaches to AI governance. While the US is leaning toward a more hands-off, pro-business strategy, Europe is pressing ahead with stricter AI regulations, including rules on content moderation for Big Tech platforms.
When and where is the AI Summit taking place?
The AI Summit in Paris is taking place on February 10 and 11, 2025. Some big names are at the summit, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
On the tech side, industry heavyweights like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Microsoft’s Brad Smith, and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei are also in attendance. The AI Summit itself is taking place at the Grand Palais in the heart of the French capital.
Featured image: Canva
