India and France not 'totally dependent' on US, Chinese models: French President Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron on February 18 (Wednesday) emphatically stated during his AIIMS address in New Delhi, "I really believe that we have the same obsession both in India and France, I would say, and in Europe, which is that we don't want to be dependent on a totally US or a totally Chinese model, but we really believe that we need a broader one." He positioned India, France, and Europe as united in pursuing strategic autonomy in AI, crafting balanced frameworks that prioritise sovereignty over reliance on dominant players.

Macron outlined a clear roadmap, stressing, "What we want to do is to make sure that we have the data centers and the computing capacities, that we train the talents in our



countries... it's clearly about computing capacities, talents and capital." This triad of investments- affordable data infrastructure, skilled workforce development, and financial backing- forms the bedrock for independent innovation, ensuring both nations harness AI without external vulnerabilities.

Acknowledging the competitive landscape, Macron declared, "I really believe we have a lot of assets and we are in the race. We are lagging behind both the US and China, but we are in the race." He framed this as a determined catch-up, where India and France actively contribute solutions, participate as key players, and drive ethical adoption to unlock AI's potential in healthcare, energy, and productivity.