This book presents the official report of the Study Commission on Artificial Intelligence created by the government of Elisabeth Borne in September 2023. The Commission was tasked with presenting “operational, realistic and ambitious proposals supported by a long-term, comprehensive and objective vision”.
AI is ubiquitous in public debate, although it is not new. Alan Turing, the British mathematician and cryptologist considered to be its founder, was already interested in the ability of a machine to imitate a conversation in 1950. However, the generative AI that emerged in 2022 represents a decisive turning point in this new technology. Through a written or oral dialogue interface with humans, the machine generates content in the form of text, images, sound, video or code, opening up a field of automatable possibilities. This technological revolution, with its considerable potential for progress, affects all areas of activity and all social groups.
Although Europe – and France in particular – have real assets in terms of AI, they seem to be victims of a feeling of helplessness and technological downgrading, unlike China and the United States, which have made AI the pillar of their power strategy and the engine of their development.
The “Aghion – Bouverot Commission” has identified, detailed and quantified 25 recommendations grouped into six main lines of structuring actions, considered essential if Europe and France want to lead a policy of deployment and control of the potential of AI; immediately launch an awareness and training plan; redirect savings towards innovation and create a “France & AI” fund; make France a major center of computing power; facilitate access to personal data while respecting intellectual property, assume the principle of an AI exception in public research and finally promote global governance of AI.
The proposed plan corresponds to an annual commitment of around 5 billion euros for the next five years, of which 45% will be mobilized in technological and industrial investment and 35% in the dissemination of AI in the economy. This represents an increase of about 0.3% in public spending, knowing that the cost of inaction would be much higher and would put France at risk of historic downgrading.
Philippe Aghion is a professor at the Collège de France, INSEAD and the London School of Economics. Anne Bouverot chairs the board of directors of the ENS and co-founded Abeona, which works for the development of responsible AI.
Chronicle by Ph ALEZARD
