The global race for intelligence: France can still take the lead

We are entering a decisive decade. Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept — it has become a core driver of growth and economic competitiveness. For French companies, the challenge is no longer grasping its potential but mastering its adoption. The global race is accelerating: the real question now is how fast we can turn AI into a strategic advantage before others define the rules of the game.

AI, the new engine of global economic power

Across the world, businesses are shifting into high gear. Global AI investments topped $190 billion in 2024, according to PwC. The United States and China lead the way, but Europe is mobilizing. In France, the government’s “Osez l’IA” (Dare to use AI) plan allocates €200 million to support companies, with a clear ambition: equip 80% of SMEs and mid-sized businesses by 2030.

But beyond the numbers lie two core challenges. First, speed: the strategic window is closing fast. Within five years, dominant standards, models, and ecosystems will be set. Companies that build AI into their value chain today will gain an advantage that others will struggle to catch up with. Second, method: AI isn’t just about experimenting — it’s about adopting it intelligently, in the right order, with the right goals, and with a clear understanding of what it should transform.

But this appropriation cannot be decreed. It relies on the ability to experiment without losing focus, to govern usage, to foster dialogue between technology and business lines, and above all, to involve the company’s employees in this transformation.

From productivity to power: the real challenge

Most companies still view AI primarily as a tool for optimization — reducing costs, automating tasks, speeding up workflows. Necessary, yes. Sufficient, no.
AI is not just about doing things better. It’s about doing things differently.

Tomorrow’s global leaders will not be those who have automated the most, but those who have been able to turn data into strategic capital. Amazon does not dominate because of its automated warehouses, but because it has industrialized its ability to anticipate. Automakers are reinventing their services through predictive maintenance. Luxury brands use AI not to replace creativity, but to amplify it. Everywhere, AI is becoming a lever for differentiation.

France at a crossroads

France holds considerable assets: cutting-edge research, recognised scientific excellence, a pool of top talent and a dynamic startup ecosystem. Philippe Aghion’s recent Nobel Prize in Economics is a reminder of this intellectual tradition: an economy built on knowledge, investment, and progress. But translating academic excellence into industrial leadership requires the next step: the industrialization of AI.

We do not lack ideas; we lack scaling up. Without clear governance, stable investment, and cross-business integration strategy, there is a risk that AI projects will remain confined to experimentation, or at best to siloed initiatives. Yet large-scale deployment is exactly what differentiates companies that thrive from those that merely adapt. It is even more true given that a major risk looms: that of becoming permanently dependent on non-European platforms, models and clouds. If we are not careful, the value created by our companies will be captured elsewhere.

This is why the adoption of AI is not just an IT issue, but a strategic priority for executive leadership. It must be at the heart of corporate strategy, on par with R&D, supply chain and international expansion.

Train, govern, differentiate

To seize this opportunity rather than endure it, companies must first build AI governance: understanding where, how, and why AI is deployed. They must then identify competitive spaces where AI can deliver unique, hard-to-replicate advantages.

Above all, they must invest massively in training and cultural transformation. AI creates value only when employees understand its logic, limitations and potential.
This is not about “digital skills”, it’s about decision-making and responsibility culture: knowing when to trust the machine, when to take back control, and how to turn data into augmented intuition.

It is on this condition – companies that successfully combine speed of adoption, technical mastery and human intelligence – that France will be able to transform AI into a sustainable economic asset, instead of a new dependency.

AI won’t wait

Technological revolutions never offer a second chance. With AI, the cycle will be even faster. In five years, the dominant ecosystems and platforms will be set. In ten years, competitive positions will be locked in. France’s economic standing in the next decade is being shaped now, in this narrow window.

AI is not just another technology. It is a new economic matrix, redefining where and how value is created. The choice before us is clear: will France be a territory of innovation or just another market for adoption?