France bets big on AI: Macron govt invests over $750 million to build chatbot for state services

The French government will invest €655 million ($758.29 million) in artificial intelligence and introduce a single chatbot system across public services, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.The initiative is aimed at expanding the use of AI in government operations, with Lecornu positioning the move as part of France’s effort to lead technological change in the public sector.“We can either be subjected to this (Artificial intelligence) revolution, or we can lead it,” Lecornu said in a post on X, as cited by Reuters.He added, “The question is not whether the state will use the artificial intelligence anymore, but the question is how fast will it transform.”Stressing the need for technological independence, he said, “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.”As part of the plan, France will roll out a unified chatbot across state services to streamline citizen access to government systems. A dedicated chatbot will also be created for state-owned health insurance agency.Authorities said the government will also develop a new platform to improve access to public data.The announcement comes ahead of the Viva Tech conference in Paris, where AI is expected to be a central theme.