France's AI Action Summit maps a European vision for AI

“France has a special message in AI,” says Justin Vaïsse, director general of the Paris Peace Forum. Speaking to GZERO’s Tony Maciulis at the 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris, Vaïsse highlighted France’s diplomatic and technological role in shaping global AI governance. The shift from an AI “safety” summit, as it was called in 2023 and 2024, to this year’s “action” summit reflects the growing urgency to balance AI innovation with AI regulation as European leaders reconsider the impact of early AI laws on competitiveness. Meanwhile, tensions over US-Europe AI policy remain, with Vaïsse making clear: “We certainly have a right to regulate.”

This conversation is part of the Global Stage series at the 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.