artificial intelligence “must be at the service of the common good” and not “in the hands of malicious actors”, believes Jean-Noël Barrot

The declaration at the end of the summit on February 10 and 11 will set out “a certain number of major principles” including “the environmental sustainability of technologies relating to artificial intelligence”, explains the Minister of Foreign Affairs on France Inter.

Artificial Intelligence “must be at the service of the common good rather than being placed in the hands of malicious actors. It must be governed”told France Inter Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, while the Council of Ministers on Wednesday January 15 will be largely devoted to the organization of the summit for action on artificial intelligence which will be held in France in February.

This is one of the objectives of this summit, argued the head of French diplomacy. “This is the first time that a declaration following a world summit on artificial intelligence will gather so many signatures”detailed Jean-Noël Barrot. This statement “will include a number of topics that have never been addressed on this scale, and in particular the environmental sustainability of technologies relating to artificial intelligence.”

It’s a text “which will set a certain number of major principles to which we are attached. For artificial intelligence, it must be open, benefiting everyone rather than being reserved for a privileged few”insisted the Minister of Foreign Affairs. “It must be sustainable, contribute to the fight against climate change rather than aggravating it. It must serve the common good rather than being placed in the hands of malicious actors.”

This question of the place of artificial intelligence was raised by Prime Minister François Bayrou on Tuesday during his general policy speech. He welcomed that the “Silicon Valley rolls out the red carpet for our digital and artificial intelligence engineers”. He praised France’s successes in this area, “we, French, are giants of algorithmic computer research. Let us not allow ourselves to become dwarves of the new economy which will be precisely based on digital technology”warned François Bayrou. It makes it an important issue in “a national strategy which must enter its 3rd phase, ambitious for the diffusion of artificial intelligence in industry, in public action, supported by an investment program”. For François Bayrou, the artificial intelligence summit to be held in February in Paris “will reflect this ambition”.

According to Jean-Noël Barrot, this summit will be “a week dedicated to artificial intelligence, with two scientific days at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris which will bring together the best researchers in the world, including Nobel Prize winners”. There will then be “a weekend devoted to cultural events open to the general public, then a big day at the Grand Palais which will bring together a thousand participants from civil society, NGOs, researchers, but also heads of state and finally the leaders’ summit of State and Government which will be held on Tuesday [11 février] and which will make it possible to arrive at a final declaration of this great summit”.