Opinion: AI is a genuine opportunity for the international community

In the breakneck race to develop artificial intelligence, we face a stark choice: Let market forces alone shape humanity’s most transformative technology, or seize this moment to ensure AI serves everyone, not just the privileged few. While it took the internet three years to reach 100 million users, AI did so in months — and the window for global action is rapidly closing. Responding to this rapid evolution, the United Nations has laid the foundations of a clear and ambitious framework for global AI governance in just one year through the Global Digital Compact adopted in September 2024 — a pace unmatched in the organization’s history. The U.N. remains the only place that can legitimately be called the “world stage,” where representatives from 193 member states can meet, discuss, and negotiate. As such, it is more than ever the go-to place to address new issues that countries feel are a collective concern — or cannot be left to the private sector alone. For nations around the world, particularly developing and emerging economies, leaving AI governance solely to market forces risks deepening inequalities. The AI preparedness index designed by the International Monetary Fund, or IMF — reflecting where countries stand on key success factors including digital infrastructure, innovation, human capital, and regulation — reveals an already existing split between countries. And as the race to develop more advanced models continues, so does the competition to attract talent and investments, in a world where Africa already faces several limitations: the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP, reported last year that only 5% of Africa’s AI talent has access to the computational power it needs. Investments are too rarely influenced, yet alone guided, by principles such as equity and general interest. The U.N., with its principle of equal representation between states, remains an essential global platform when addressing this concern. With this mindset, the U.N. has begun building the foundations for a more inclusive AI future, including the creation of an independent scientific panel and a global policy dialogue. These initiatives aim to provide a shared understanding of AI’s risks and potential, while charting a common course to ensure its benefits are accessible to all, and not just a privileged few. AI is, in many ways, a litmus test for multilateralism and global trust. Its promises for sustainable development are immense: Tailored education, enhanced health care, environmental protection, and inclusive economic growth. But without coordinated action, it could exacerbate global inequalities and leave the most vulnerable further behind. France is committed to passing this test. We believe AI must be treated as a global public good — like the internet — accessible to all while respecting fundamental rights. Yet achieving this vision requires overcoming significant obstacles, from unequal access to electricity and the internet to gaps in financing, talent, and data availability. That’s why France, under the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron, and in line with the Global Digital Compact, will host the Summit for AI Action in Paris on Feb. 10-11. Over 800 partners from public, private, academic sectors, and civil society have worked hand in hand to start moving the needle and deliver an AI with common benefits, following the aspirations and guidelines of the United Nations. This will include the promotion of 50 innovative projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit will also feature the launch of a large-scale initiative aimed at serving the public interest and making access to AI more equitable across the globe, and address critical issues such as the integrity of public debate and information in the age of generative AI — issues that strike at the heart of our democracies. Finally, it represents a commitment to long-term action: Linking the twin transitions of our time — digital and environmental — for the first time on the global stage. As natural disasters driven by climate change pile up perilously, the potential impact of AI on GHG emissions is not to be taken lightly. The International Energy Agency reported last year that electricity demand emanating from data centers could double globally from 2022 to 2026, driven by the rapid development of data centers. As electricity generation remains, to date, the world’s largest GHG emitting sector, this means that the AI surge could worsen GHG emission trends. The summit will provide a unique platform to promote a more sustainable AI: By identifying standards to help it consume less but also to showcase AI-supported solutions that can make our world more resilient to the triple planetary crisis of climate, biodiversity loss, and pollution. No single event will solve these challenges, but this Summit can create momentum and contribute concretely to a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around. France, alongside its European and all good willing partners, is ready to lead the way — and we invite the world to join us.