The French presidency has unveiled the first of several anticipated financial initiatives relating to artificial intelligence, just days before the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and Emmanuel Macron of France have inked a deal for a substantial investment to construct a sizable artificial intelligence data center in France.
According to an AFP story, the construction of an AI campus might cost France and the United Arab Emirates “€30 to €50 billion” ($31 to 52 billion at current exchange rates). A data center with a maximum capacity of 1GW would receive the majority of the investment.
France Identifies Locations for Data Center Expansion
According to Clara Chappaz, France’s minister of digital and artificial intelligence, 35 sites have been chosen for the construction of new data centers with expedited administrative permissions. This information was announced Thursday morning. That framework is probably going to be utilized in the UAE’s data center investment.
France’s Green Energy Advantage
Nuclear power facilities provide about 65% of France’s electricity. Additionally, about 25% of the nation’s electricity comes from renewable sources. France is taking advantage of the AI Action Summit to draw in foreign investments, particularly for those power-hungry data centers, as large tech corporations struggle to lower their carbon footprint.
MGX to Contribute to the Data Center Project
The data center project in France will be supported by a group of French and Emirati investors. The artificial intelligence-focused Emirati investment company MGX will make a contribution.
Additionally, MGX was mentioned as one of the first backers of Stargate, the massive AI investment initiative run by SoftBank and OpenAI. Speaking on the latest innovation by Chinese AI companies DeepSeek and Stargate, Chappaz felt optimistic about the future of Europe and France.
At a tech event hosted by Balderton and Photoroom on Thursday night, she stated, “The sheer size and scope of these two announcements demonstrate that this is just the beginning.” “Because we have a chance to catch up with this technology,” she added.
AI Summit to Draw Global Leaders
Heads of state will travel to Paris on Monday and Tuesday to meet with executives in the global technology industry. More investment agreements and a joint statement will probably be announced. The impact of artificial intelligence on the environment may be the main topic of the diplomatic accord.
The conference is anticipated to take place at the Grand Palais in Paris and include U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, China’s Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
