PM to visit Paris next month, French President announces
The Hindu
French President Macron announces PM Modi's visit to Paris for AI Summit and potential $10bn defence deals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Paris next month on a bilateral visit and also attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday (January 10, 2024).
“France will be hosting on February 11-12 the AI Summit, a summit for action. This summit will enable us to have an international discussion on artificial intelligence. PM Modi will be there immediately after his State visit to our country, and this will enable us to have dialogue with all the powers on AI, U.S., China and major nations like India which has a role to play, as well as the Gulf States,” Mr. Macron said in Paris.
The Hindu reported last week that two mega defence deals together worth over $10bn, 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three additional Scorpene-class submarines for the Navy, are being finalised for possible announcement and conclusion during the visit. In preparation for the announcement on the two deals, they are expected to be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approval in the next couple of weeks.
Earlier editions of the AI summit were held in United Kingdom in November 2023 and in South Korea in May 2024. On the upcoming edition, France has stated that the gathering will focus on concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. The summit will address five primary themes — public interest AI, future of work, innovation and culture, trust in AI, and global governance of AI.
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