
Future of AI: PM Narendra Modi co-chairs AI-action summit in Paris
Notable heads of state who will be attending include JD Vance of US, Ding XueXiang of China and Ursula von der Leyen of EU
The purpose of the AI Action Summit in Paris is to establish a common governable framework that ensures the safe and legal development of artificial intelligence. It also aims to make AI eco-friendly and make sure reliable, independent and safe AI is available to a wide range of users.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence as the India co-chair of the summit is projected as a testament to India's tenacity in growing as a global AI powerhouse, and a strategic move to showcase India on a global platform.
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A brief overview
The two previous summits were hosted in November 2023 in the UK’s Bletchley Park with a smaller gathering, and in Seoul in May 2024. The current AI Action Summit is to be hosted on February 10 and 11 by French president Emmanuel Macron and co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some other notable heads of state who will be attending the event are US Vice President JD Vance, China’s Vice Premier Ding XueXiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These are a few of the 60 heads of state who are anticipated to take part in this summit.
Also read: PM Modi on US visit: 'Look forward to meeting my friend Trump'
Experts attending the summit
Over 300 AI firms and enterprises are set to join the summit, along with hundreds of scientists, academicians and experts in AI. More notable figures joining are four Nobel Prize winners and four Turing Award winners, like 2018 Turing Award winner Yan LeCun, who is the VP and Chief AI scientist at Meta.
Apart from them, 50 innovative AI for Good projects that were selected are going to receive funding, communication and support at the AI Action Summit.
Macron’s diplomatic moves
Macron’s purpose for hosting the summit in his country’s capital, Paris seems to be a curated diplomatic move that highlights France’s developments in AI. Macron aims to make France one of the world’s leading destinations for foreign investment in artificial intelligence.
During this summit, he will showcase some of France’s advancements in AI such as France’s bustling AI ecosystem supported by over a thousand AI startups, including Mistral AI and its large language model, that managed to raise over €1.9 million in 2024 according to a Forrester report. He also aims to showcase decarbonized electricity and multiple AI hubs involving global leaders’ decision-making capabilities.