Europe will Adopt AI on Second Day of Paris Summit, Despite No Clear Global Agreement

World leaders convened on Tuesday for the second day and plenary session of the Paris summit focused on artificial intelligence, amid uncertainties regarding the United States’ commitment to endorsing a statement promoting sustainable AI.

Shortly after President Emmanuel Macron asserted that France was actively participating in the AI competition and that Europe was keen on business opportunities, representatives from nearly 100 nations, including China, India, and the United States, prepared to engage in discussions aimed at reconciling divergent national interests. The American delegation is being led by Vice President JD Vance.

On Monday evening, Macron emphasized a key distinction. He stated that France would not adopt a “drill, baby, drill” strategy akin to the United States’ oil production policy regarding electricity. Instead, he advocated for utilizing clean energy sources, allowing companies to “plug, baby, plug” to satisfy the substantial energy demands of AI.

One aspect of political consensus is that 2025 is not deemed an appropriate year for renewed AI regulation. US President Donald Trump has dismantled the AI safeguards established by his predecessor, Joe Biden, and this development has not gone unnoticed in Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to unveil a new AI strategy for the European Union on Tuesday. This initiative is described as a “unique opportunity for Europe to accelerate, simplify our regulations, deepen the single market, and enhance our computing capabilities.” Additionally, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz conveyed a message during an AI summit dinner on Monday, urging European companies to collaborate in a robust collective effort towards developing AI in Europe, as noted in prepared remarks shared with Reuters.

Executives were scheduled to convene for the Business Day of the event, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman anticipated to deliver a keynote address at the summit. A consortium spearheaded by Elon Musk announced on Monday that it had proposed a $97.4 billion acquisition of the nonprofit organization overseeing OpenAI.

It remained uncertain whether the United States and other countries would support a draft summit statement that was distributed on January 30, which advocated for an ‘inclusive approach’ to artificial intelligence that is multi-stakeholder, grounded in human rights, and supportive of the developing world.

The draft declaration, reviewed by Reuters, outlined key priorities such as ‘preventing market concentration’ and ‘ensuring AI is sustainable for both people and the planet.’ Vance’s inaugural international trip as Vice President of the United States may still adopt a different emphasis.

Vance informed Breitbart News that he intends to utilize the opportunity to address the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, along with various other subjects, as reported by the right-leaning US media outlet. Reuters was unable to confirm the report at this time.