Cour des comptes Evaluates France's AI Strategy: Progress Praised, Urgent Challenges Highlighted

On November 19, 2025, the Cour des comptes released a detailed report assessing France’s national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which was initially launched in 2018. The evaluation acknowledges significant strides made in AI research and innovation, while also pointing out critical shortcomings that could hinder France’s ambitions to become Europe’s AI leader.

President Emmanuel Macron had launched an ambitious €109 billion investment plan for AI during the "Summit for Action on Artificial Intelligence" in Paris on February 10, 2025, aiming to rival the U.S. Stargate program and establish France as a hub for supercomputing and AI capabilities. However, nine months later, only €26 billion of these investments have been confirmed, although the Élysée claims that €90 billion is "secured."

The Cour des comptes, presented by Pierre Moscovici, praised the dynamic created by the AI strategy, noting that France now ranks 5th globally in the Global AI Index, up from 13th place. France boasts over 4,000 AI researchers and has seen the number of AI start-ups double since 2021, raising nearly €2 billion in funding in 2024 alone. Notably, Mistral AI's recent €1.7 billion funding round highlighted France's growing innovation ecosystem.

Despite these advancements, the report criticized the slow implementation of key priorities, particularly in education reforms and supporting sectors economically affected by AI. Public funding was considered insufficient, amounting to only €1.3 billion from 2018 to 2022 and €1.1 billion projected for 2023 to 2025. Moreover, the strategy faces challenges such as continued dependency on foreign technology for critical components.

The Cour des comptes recommended ten measures to improve public policy, including establishing a dedicated secretariat for better coordination across ministries and using public procurement strategically to foster AI growth. Nevertheless, concerns remain about the government’s capacity to implement these reforms amid fiscal pressures.

In summary, while France’s AI strategy has notably elevated the country’s position in AI research and startups, significant efforts are needed to accelerate adoption, increase funding, and tackle structural weaknesses to fully realize its objectives.