PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron trumpeted the benefits of artificial intelligence ahead of a two-day Paris summit on the technology and its potential benefits and pitfalls.
Co-hosted with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit has a slew of stated aims including "mapping" AI governance around the world, promoting the idea of more ethical, accessible and frugal AI and pushing for European sovereignty over the technology.
But announcements ahead of the gathering could have been confused with Macron's annual "Choose France" investor conference, with tens of billions pledged for investment in projects including data centres in the host country.
France would receive "109 billion euros ($113-billion) of investment in artificial intelligence in the coming years" from the United Arab Emirates, "major American and Canadian investment funds" and French companies, Macron told broadcaster TF1 in a Sunday interview.
He also took time to plug French medical technology and homegrown generative AI developer Mistral.
The 109-billion-euro figure was "the equivalent for France of what the US has announced with 'Stargate'," the $500-billion US programme led by ChatGPT maker OpenAI, he added.
The technical challenges and price of entry for nations hoping to keep abreast in the AI race have become clearer in recent weeks.
Monday's gathering of around 1,500 guests in the French capital's opulent Grand Palais will feature lectures and panel discussions outlining the promises of and challenges posed by AI.
Macron wants to show off France's own tech sector, which has around 750 startups working in the AI field.
He will speak towards the end of Monday's event, after hosting heads of government and international investors at his Elysee Palace residence throughout the day.
From the tech world, OpenAI boss Sam Altman and Arthur Mensch of French startup MistralAI are among the attendees.