PARIS — France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced Tuesday that his government plans to pour €655 million — roughly $758 million — into artificial intelligence, including the creation of a unified chatbot that would serve all French government agencies.
Among the key elements of the plan is the development of a dedicated public health chatbot connected to the state-owned health insurance agency, Ameli. The government also intends to build a new platform designed to make public data more accessible to citizens.
Lecornu framed the initiative as a matter of national urgency, posting on X that the country faces a fundamental choice. “We can either be subjected to this revolution, or we can lead it,” he wrote.
The prime minister stressed that the role of AI in government is no longer up for debate — only the pace of change is. “The question is not whether the state will use artificial intelligence anymore, but the question is how fast will it transform,” Lecornu said.
He also emphasized the importance of technological independence, stating, “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.”
The announcement was timed to coincide with the opening of the “Viva Tech” conference in Paris.
