French President Emmanuel Macron pledges to shape AI governance with allies like India, balancing innovation with safety and child protection.
NEW DELHI: French President Emmanuel Macron has declared his determination to shape the global rules for artificial intelligence alongside key allies.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Macron emphasised a collaborative approach to governing the fast-evolving technology.
“We are determined to continue to shape the rules of the game… with our allies such as India,” Macron said.
He positioned Europe as a space for both innovation and safety, not solely focused on regulation.
The European Union has pioneered global AI regulation with its Artificial Intelligence Act, adopted in 2024. This law allows regulators to ban systems posing “unacceptable risks”, like real-time public facial recognition.
Macron highlighted France’s commitment to building AI capacity, noting it is “doubling the number of AI scientists and engineers trained”. He said new startups in the sector are creating “dozens of thousands” of jobs.
A key priority for Macron is protecting children from digital harm. He stated that one of France’s G7 priorities will be “children’s protection against AI and digital abuse”.
“There is no reason our children should be exposed online to what is legally forbidden in the real world,” he argued.
France recently passed a bill to ban social media for under-15s, mirroring a similar Australian law. Macron expressed confidence that India would join European nations in this protective “club”.
“Protecting our children is not regulation, as well. It is civilization,” he concluded.
His comments follow last year’s AI summit in Paris, where US Vice President JD Vance warned against “excessive regulation” that could stifle innovation.
