Macron Says AI Should Not Be 'Wild West'

 French President Emmanuel Macron attends to the presentation of the French Pavilion for the Osaka 2025 World Expo at the City of Architecture and Heritage in Paris, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron attends to the presentation of the French Pavilion for the Osaka 2025 World Expo at the City of Architecture and Heritage in Paris, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
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Macron Says AI Should Not Be 'Wild West'

 French President Emmanuel Macron attends to the presentation of the French Pavilion for the Osaka 2025 World Expo at the City of Architecture and Heritage in Paris, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron attends to the presentation of the French Pavilion for the Osaka 2025 World Expo at the City of Architecture and Heritage in Paris, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)

Development of artificial intelligence (AI) should not be an unregulated "Wild West", French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday ahead of a global summit on the technology in Paris.

The call to impose rules -- tempered with the pro-business president's fundamental optimism about the technology -- comes as France and Europe push to stay abreast of the AI race dominated by the US and China.

"AI can't be the Wild West," Macron told French regional newspapers including Ouest-France and Le Parisien in advance of the gathering of global political and tech industry leaders on Monday and Tuesday.

"There have to be rules" and "there are all kinds of fields where we don't want AI, because we don't want it creating discrimination or mass control in our society," he added.

Macron nevertheless insisted that "we shouldn't be afraid of innovation".

There is "a risk that some people don't set themselves any rules... but also the reverse, that Europe sets itself too many rules, parts ways with the others and therefore can't innovate," he warned.

The French leader's attempt to reconcile the two positions at the summit will be a "declaration open for any country to sign, on a completely voluntary basis, with strong principles on protecting rights, the environment, news integrity and intellectual property," Macron said.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is one of the highest-profile political leaders to attend the summit in Paris, alongside figures like US Vice President JD Vance and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing.

The EU must be "ready to fight to be fully autonomous and independent, or will we let the competition shrink to a battle between the USA and China?" Macron said.

"If Europe takes an interest in this subject, simplifies and speeds up, it has cards to play," he added.

Macron called for "European and economic patriotism" including buying locally developed AI services that he said promised boosts for the EU's competitiveness and productivity.

Von der Leyen is expected to announce plans to build around 10 public supercomputers for research and use by start-up firms, the president added.



Huawei Eyes Greater Role in Brazil Data Center Market

Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
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Huawei Eyes Greater Role in Brazil Data Center Market

Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)
Huawei logo is seen during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. (Reuters)

Chinese tech giant Huawei is interested in strengthening and improving its capacity as a supplier of data center solutions, it said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday, clarifying that it did not intend to invest directly in data centers.

Reuters had reported on Wednesday that Huawei was interested in Brazil's data center market but was waiting on the government to roll out a tax-break plan.

"We want the government to implement these incentives, which are good for the country, and the time has to be now," Atilio Rulli, Huawei vice president of public relations for Latin America and the Caribbean, told Reuters.

The government's plan to dole out tax breaks for tech investments in Brazil is set to be sent to Congress soon, a finance ministry adviser said last month.

Latin America's largest economy is looking to establish a foothold in the fast-growing data center industry, pulling from its ample renewable energy.

The country is already courting major investments from firms such as ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, Reuters has reported.

Huawei could provide connectivity, storage and energy for data centers, Rulli said, speaking on the sidelines of an event hosted by state development bank BNDES.

"Huawei continues to follow the incentive policy being conducted by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, and when in force, will continue to contribute reliable, scalable and sustainable solutions to accelerate the digital transformation in Brazil and Latin America," Huawei said in the statement on Thursday.