French strategy on artificial intelligence: trainings in AI will double

French strategy on artificial intelligence: doubling of trainings in AI

"We must particularly focus on training". This is the first step announced by Emmanuel Macron in his speech on "artificial intelligence at the service of Humans" at the Collège de France on March 30 to present the strategy designed to turn France into a major player of the artificial intelligence (AI) field.

The French government will spend €1.5 billion. The strategy will be supervised by the INRIA (National Research Institute for Computer Science and Automatism) in cooperation with other research entities and universities to work on doubling the training in AI.

The challenges of training

To the president, the stakes are clear: "The first challenge of artificial intelligence on a global scale is talent." And the French president added that France will "double the number of students trained in artificial intelligence, from the Licence course to Doctorate and short vocational trainings". Funding will match the targeted objectives. 

In addition to this statement and in line with the report provided by mathematician Cédric Villani, the French president also defined additional general objectives:

• developing research,
• opening data,
• defining the ethics in relation with AI and its place in society.

Research and training should be both main players and benefactors of the strategy, since France must position itself in "excellence of training and research", to recall the words of the French president on many occasions.