Mistral AI: 22 Measures to Revive AI in Europe

The French startup Mistral AI, recently valued at €11.7 billion, has published a document containing 22 proposals to stimulate the development of artificial intelligence in Europe. These measures aim to enhance talent attractiveness, structure a local offering, and reduce dependence on American and Chinese technologies.

Among the key proposals, Mistral AI suggests the creation of an "AI blue card," a simplified residence permit designed to attract international talent, inspired by the European Blue Card. This card, although available since 2009, is primarily used in Germany and remains underutilized elsewhere.

The startup also calls for the integration of a European preference in public procurement related to AI and cloud services, as well as the establishment of tax incentives to encourage the use of local infrastructures. Another major focus is the creation of a European database centralizing works that have entered the public domain to facilitate the training of AI models.

Arthur Mensch, the head of Mistral AI, emphasizes the urgency of acting in the face of a "growing technological gap" with the United States and China. According to him, Europe must avoid becoming a market dominated by these foreign powers.

In parallel with these proposals, Mistral AI has raised $830 million in debt to finance a data center in France, with the ambition of achieving revenue of over €1 billion by 2026.