World leaders and technology executives are gathering in Paris to explore the safe adoption of artificial intelligence amid growing resistance to stringent regulations that businesses claim hinder innovation.

Interest in controlling AI has waned since past summits in Britain and South Korea, which focused on AI's risks following ChatGPT's viral launch in 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump has repealed AI regulations from his predecessor, promoting U.S. competitiveness and adding pressure on EU policymakers to adopt a more lenient approach to maintain European firms' tech leadership.

French President Emmanuel Macron and other EU leaders, along with tech companies, advocate for flexibility within the EU's new AI Act to support local startups. Macron emphasized the importance of finding a balance between no rules and overly stringent regulations, highlighting that innovation should not be feared.

Trump's AI policy shift highlights the differing strategies in regulating AI across the U.S., China, and the EU. The EU's AI Act, approved last year, is the world's first comprehensive set of AI regulations, with tech giants and several capitals advocating for lenient enforcement. Brussels is finalizing an accompanying code of practice.

China's DeepSeek recently challenged U.S. and British AI dominance by releasing a human-like reasoning system, intensifying the global AI race. Chatham House noted the unpredictable global scramble to develop AI, with the U.S. turning inward and China showcasing new capabilities.

The absence of the U.S. AI Safety Institute at the Paris summit signals challenges for those hoping for global risk-based AI regulations.

Top political leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and China's Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, will attend the summit alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Macron is scheduled to meet with Guoqing on Monday and Vance on Tuesday, with the plenary session set for February 11.

Executives from Alphabet, including CEO Sundar Pichai, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are slated to speak, while Google Senior Vice President James Manyika highlighted the focus on AI opportunities at a press reception.

The summit will address AI's energy needs in a warming world and AI applications for developing countries. France aims to promote its national industry, emphasizing open-source systems and clean energy for data centers. A deal with the United Arab Emirates for a major AI data center, representing up to $50 billion in investments, was struck ahead of the summit.

The CEO of Nvidia-backed French startup Mistral noted the recognition of European players' contribution to cutting-edge technology.
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