'Choose France' summit puts AI at heart of Macron’s €93 billion investment drive

Lead

France hosted its annual Choose France investment summit on Monday, with President Emmanuel Macron announcing that foreign companies have pledged a total of €93 billion in investment. Artificial intelligence and data infrastructure projects accounted for the bulk of the commitments, according to a report from RFI. Around 200 senior executives from around the world gathered at the Versailles palace for the event, which has become a flagship showcase of Macron's economic agenda.

The largest single announcement came from Japanese technology investment giant SoftBank, which said over the weekend that it would spend €75 billion on artificial intelligence infrastructure in France. The company's founder, Masayoshi Son, met with Macron at the Élysée Palace on Monday, as reported by France 24 and RFI.

Coverage Comparison

France 24 focused on the summit's AI and data centre investments, noting that SoftBank's €75 billion pledge was a major element of the event. RFI's coverage highlighted the strategic dimension of France's AI push, quoting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on the need to build "genuine autonomy" in digital technology. South China Morning Post placed the summit in the context of a global quantum computing race, citing parallel US government initiatives.

Key Claims

AI Investments

SoftBank's €75 billion investment, described by Son as "the largest investment in Europe in infrastructure related to artificial intelligence," includes €45 billion to be spent by 2031 on data centres in the Hauts-de-France region, according to RFI. French electrics giant Schneider will be a partner in the project, its chief executive Olivier Blum told AFP.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Tuesday an additional €655 million in public investment to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, as reported by RFI. He also said the French government will begin rolling out an AI chatbot to one million civil servants.

Quantum Strategy

Macron said on Friday that the government will invest an additional €1 billion in its quantum strategy and €550 million to support the microelectronics sector, as reported by the South China Morning Post. "I'll say it out loud. We have the means to be the winners of this race," he said.

The French start-up Quobly secured €115 million in funding to build quantum computers using conventional chip manufacturing techniques, according to RFI. The funding round, announced on Wednesday, was led by state-backed investment bank Bpifrance, chipmaker STMicroelectronics and Sealsq. "The cost of producing our chip leads us to design quantum computers that will be 100 times cheaper than competing technologies," said Maud Vinet, Quobly's chief executive and co-founder.

US Quantum Move

The South China Morning Post also reported that the US President Donald Trump's administration unveiled plans to take US$2 billion in equity stakes across nine quantum-computing companies, in an effort to secure US leadership in the technology.

Key Claims

• SoftBank will spend €75 billion on AI infrastructure in France, including €45 billion by 2031 on data centres in the Hauts-de-France region, as reported by multiple outlets.
• Foreign companies pledged €93 billion in total investment at the Choose France summit, as announced by President Macron and reported by RFI.
• Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced €655 million in new public investment for AI, as reported by RFI.
• The French government will begin rolling out an AI chatbot to one million civil servants, as reported by RFI.
• President Macron announced €1 billion in additional funding for the quantum strategy and €550 million for the microelectronics sector, as reported by South China Morning Post.
• French start-up Quobly secured €115 million in funding to build quantum computers, as reported by RFI.
• The US administration unveiled plans to take US$2 billion in equity stakes across nine quantum-computing companies, as reported by South China Morning Post.

Perspectives

French government: The investments are part of France's strategy to build strategic autonomy and protect sovereignty in the face of competition from China and the United States. Macron stated, "We have the means to be the winners of this race," while Prime Minister Lecornu said, "We cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital realm." The government emphasises that state data "is our wealth and must remain protected."

SoftBank: Founder Masayoshi Son highlighted France's status as an energy producer and exporter as a crucial factor for AI infrastructure investments, particularly for data centres. "The fact that the country is an energy producer and exporter is absolutely crucial for infrastructure investments in artificial intelligence," he said.

Quobly: The start-up argues that using existing semiconductor manufacturing techniques could make quantum computers cheaper and easier to produce than rival technologies. "We benefit from the economy of scale of this industry," said CEO Maud Vinet, estimating that their chips could make quantum computers 100 times cheaper than competing technologies.