France Leads the Charge in Artificial Intelligence Investments

The world of artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, with major players and governments investing heavily in the technology. In this news brief, we'll explore the latest developments in AI, from France's ambitious $112 billion investment plan to the EU's efforts to compete with China and the US.

Macron Unveils Ambitious $112 Billion AI Investment Plan for France

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for a $112 billion investment in artificial intelligence in France over the coming years. The investment comes as France seeks to keep pace with global AI developments, including the US initiative "Stargate," for which U.S. President Donald Trump pledged $500 billion. The financing is said to include plans by Canadian investment firm Brookfield to invest 20 billion euros in AI projects in France and financing from the UAE which could hit 50 billion euros in the years ahead.

Cisco and Mistral AI Transform the Customer Experience with AI

Cisco and Mistral AI have partnered to deliver on Cisco's mission to transform the customer experience with AI. The two companies have developed an AI Agent that greatly enhances and streamlines the renewal proposal creation process at Cisco by consolidating both structured and unstructured data from over 50 signals and sources and providing real-time sentiment analysis, summarized recommendations, intelligent automation, and personalization, all tied to customer outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs).

AI Phone Scam Targets Italian Business Leaders

An artificial intelligence-based scam has targeted Italian business leaders, including Giorgio Armani and Patrizio Bertelli. The scam involved the mimicking of the defence minister's voice in telephone calls claiming to seek help to free Italian journalists kidnapped in the Middle East.

monday.com Announces AI Vision to Empower Businesses to Scale

monday.com has announced its AI Vision, representing its key focus areas for 2025. The company's strategy will focus on three pillars—AI Blocks, Product Power-ups, and the Digital Workforce—to accelerate its vision to democratize the power of software.

I Pushed an AI to Make Recipes from Photos. It Pushed Back

A writer has shared their experience of building an AI that can make recipes from photos. The AI, which uses a locally-hosted photo-to-recipe chatbot, was able to create recipes from food photos, but the process was clunky and required a lot of iteration.

Pittsburgh Aims for AI Boom with "Strike Team"

A coalition of influential Pittsburgh-area stakeholders wants to make the region a competitive leader in artificial intelligence. The two-year initiative, called the AI Strike Team, aims to position southwestern Pennsylvania as a top AI tech hub by 2028, hoping to attract tens of thousands of jobs.

Brookfield Plans €20 Billion Investment in French AI Infrastructure

Brookfield Asset Management has announced a €20 billion infrastructure investment program in France to support AI infrastructure deployment by 2030. The investment includes up to €15 billion for data center development through its portfolio company Data4, which plans to build over 500 MW of data center capacity across France.

The EU's AI Future: Can the Bloc Compete with China, US?

The EU's AI future is uncertain, with the bloc struggling to keep up with leaders in the field. The high-profile summit on artificial intelligence begins Monday in Paris with the aim of creating a framework for the sustainable use of AI.

Key Takeaways

  • France has announced plans for a $112 billion investment in artificial intelligence in France over the coming years.
  • Cisco and Mistral AI have partnered to deliver on Cisco's mission to transform the customer experience with AI.
  • An artificial intelligence-based scam has targeted Italian business leaders, including Giorgio Armani and Patrizio Bertelli.
  • monday.com has announced its AI Vision, representing its key focus areas for 2025.
  • A writer has shared their experience of building an AI that can make recipes from photos.
  • A coalition of influential Pittsburgh-area stakeholders wants to make the region a competitive leader in artificial intelligence.
  • Brookfield Asset Management has announced a €20 billion infrastructure investment program in France to support AI infrastructure deployment by 2030.
  • The EU's AI future is uncertain, with the bloc struggling to keep up with leaders in the field.

Sources

Artificial Intelligence France EU China US AI Investment AI Infrastructure AI Scam AI Vision AI Transformation Customer Experience Data Centers AI Deployment AI Summit AI Future