Lescure: European AI Must Not Depend on Mistral

Key Takeaways

1Bercy strengthens a non-exclusive partnership with Mistral, with new experiments planned in cybersecurity.

2In June, Washington required Anthropic to cut off foreign access to its most powerful models for two weeks.

3Roland Lescure calls for expanding the European AI ecosystem beyond Mistral and considers American access to be "unpredictable."

Why it matters : These decisions and statements combine public support for a European player with a reminder of the vulnerability of access to American models.

On a visit to California, Roland Lescure calls for the establishment of a European AI ecosystem that does not depend on a single player. Meanwhile, the government is strengthening its partnership with Mistral, while the minister emphasizes the unpredictability of American decisions that could restrict access to the most powerful models.

Increased Public Partnership and Risk of Restricted Access to Models

The Ministry of Economy has indicated that it has intensified a non-exclusive collaboration with Mistral, including new testing phases across various ministries, particularly in the field of cybersecurity. On August 18, David Amiel, the Minister of Budget, announced that the state would favor "sovereign" AI providers such as Mistral, sidelining OpenAI, following a cyberattack that targeted the tax administration. In June, U.S. authorities required Anthropic, the creator of Claude, to suspend access to its most advanced models for all foreign nationals for two weeks. When asked about the danger that a Trump administration might limit European access to the most powerful models, Roland Lescure simply replied: "unpredictability."

Lescure Refuses to Direct Mistral but Calls for an Expanded Ecosystem

The minister believes that European sovereignty in AI cannot rely solely on Mistral and states: "If European AI is reduced to Mistral, then we are doomed." He advocates for the development of a comprehensive ecosystem rather than concentrating efforts on a single company. When questioned about the possibility that Mistral might prioritize computing infrastructure over cutting-edge models, he declined to comment, asserting that companies act as they can and as they wish, while praising Mistral as a company to be proud of. According to him, American cutting-edge models are ahead, Chinese models are not far behind, and there are developments happening in Europe that could also lead to advancements. These statements were made to journalists in San Francisco on a Wednesday.

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Mistral, Its Current Strengths, and Organized Competition in Europe

Mistral is frequently presented as the only European company providing top-tier models, even though its results remain inferior to those of its American and Chinese rivals. In June, the European Commission awarded a mission to an Italian-German consortium, without Mistral's participation, to design a high-level European model intended for the public supercomputers of the European Union. Mistral's valuation is approaching 12 billion euros, with the state being an indirect shareholder through Bpifrance. This year, the company has increased its investments in infrastructure, opening its first data center in France and signing a commercial partnership with Microsoft, while continuing to publish its own models.

A Trip Focused on OpenAI, Stripe, and Investors

The minister is traveling in Silicon Valley, with meetings scheduled with investors and AI companies such as OpenAI and Stripe. He plans to visit OpenAI's headquarters during his stay in California. In this context, he believes that the European AI ecosystem needs to develop further.