Macron, tech leaders to debate Europe's AI future at VivaTech
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on artificial intelligence challenges in Europe alongside NVIDIA Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang and Arthur Mensch, Chief Executive Officer of Mistral AI.
Panel details
The session will be held at the Dôme de Paris as part of the ninth edition of VivaTech, a major technology event taking place in Paris. Macron, Huang, and Mensch will discuss the significant opportunities and risks associated with the rise of artificial intelligence. The focus of their conversation will be on strategies for Europe to maintain economic competitiveness, support technological sovereignty, and safeguard democratic institutions in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
According to the official announcement, "French president Emmanuel Macron will join NVIDIA and Mistral AI to discuss the major opportunities for Europe with the rise of Artificial Intelligence. At a time when Europe's economic competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and democratic values are at stake, this session will consider pathways to increasing investment, adapting the regulatory environment, and dealing with the fragmentation of the European market."
Industry leaders in attendance
This session is part of a broader programme with a strong focus on artificial intelligence at VivaTech, which will see participation from industry figures from the United States, China, and Europe. Sarah Friar, Chief Financial Officer of OpenAI, and Fidji Simo, Chief Executive Officer of Instacart and soon-to-be co-Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, will both attend the event. Yann LeCun, Vice President and Chief AI Scientist at META, is also scheduled to be present.
Joe Tsai, Co-Founder and Chairman of Alibaba, and Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer of Anthropic and co-founder of Instagram, will also participate. The event will see the European debut of Manus AI, represented by co-founder Tao Zhang, who will discuss developments in artificial intelligence and the role of emerging companies in the sector.
Focus on European AI concerns
AI is expected to be a central theme of this year's VivaTech. The event brings together several perspectives to address how artificial intelligence is affecting economies, sectors, and society. The panel featuring Macron, Huang, and Mensch will highlight competition between regions as well as internal European market issues.
Artificial Intelligence will be the undisputed star of this 9th edition of VivaTech, and this will be an important opportunity to exchange, debate and compare points of view as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in our economies and our daily lives. The USA and China will be strongly represented with industry leaders such as Sarah Friar, Chief Financial Officer of OpenAI, and Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart who will soon become co-CEO of OpenAI. Yann LeCun, VP & Chief AI Scientist at META, will also join us at VivaTech, along with Joe Tsai, co-Founder and Chairman of Alibaba, and Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer of Anthropic and co-founder of Instagram. Also, for the first time in Europe, Chinese startup Manus AI will be represented by co-founder Tao Zhang who will discuss the new frontiers of AI.
Regulation and investment
The conference session aims to address challenges arising from the fragmentation of the European market in technology and AI policy. Specific topics expected include fostering greater cross-border collaboration, scaling up technological investment, and creating harmonised regulatory standards suited to rapid advances in the sector.
Discussions are also anticipated to examine Europe's position relative to other global powers in AI, with a focus on how the continent can protect its interests and values as artificial intelligence technologies advance. The session will look at increasing investment in research and development and adapting regulations to enable competitive growth while addressing ethical and social concerns.
Attendees and programming
The participation of global and regional leaders at VivaTech underlines the strategic significance attributed to artificial intelligence, especially given the current pace of sectoral transformation. Speakers from a range of companies and backgrounds are set to provide a diversity of views on the path ahead for technological sovereignty, societal adaptation, and cross-sector partnerships.
The ninth edition of VivaTech is scheduled to take place in June in Paris. The event will convene startup founders, established technology companies, and policymakers for discussions on a broad range of topics shaping the technology sector.
