Vice President JD Vance Makes First Overseas Trip to Paris AI Summit Amid Global Tech Tensions

PARIS — World leaders convened at a major AI summit in Paris, navigating complex diplomatic discussions amid the backdrop of a rapidly evolving tech landscape and escalating geopolitical tensions. The summit addressed the dual nature of AI’s rapid advancement, with the global artificial intelligence market projected to reach $3819.2 billion by 2034.

Heads of state, senior government officials, CEOs, and scientists from approximately 100 countries gathered for the two-day global artificial intelligence summit, which began on Monday.

Among the prominent attendees were U.S. Vice President JD Vance, undertaking his first overseas trip since taking office, and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing.

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the transformative potential of AI on Sunday, stating on national television France 2, “We’re living a technology and scientific revolution we’ve rarely seen.”

He stressed that France and Europe must capitalize on this opportunity, asserting that AI “will enable us to live better, learn better, work better, care better and it’s up to us to put this artificial intelligence at the service of human beings.” The AI summit 2024 core objective is to address artificial intelligence benefits while mitigating risks.

Vance’s Diplomatic Engagements

The AI summit provided an opportunity for some European leaders to meet Vance for the first time. The 40-year-old vice president was 18 months into his term as Ohio’s junior senator when Donald Trump selected him as his running mate.

Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha, and their three children, Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. They were received in France on Monday by Manuel Valls, the minister for Overseas France, and David McCawley, the U.S. Embassy’s charge d’affaires.

Prior to the trip, Vance indicated his intention to engage in candid discussions with European allies, including addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“At the AI Summit, the main reason I’m going is actually to have some private conversations with the world leaders who are also going to be there,” Vance told Breitbart News. “I think there’s a lot that some of the leaders who are present at the AI summit could do to, frankly — bring the Russia-Ukraine conflict to a close, help us diplomatically there — and so we’re going to be focused on those meetings in France.”

On Tuesday, Vance held a working lunch with President Macron, focusing on Ukraine and the Middle East. Like the U.S. president, Vance has questioned U.S. financial support for Ukraine and the overall strategy of isolating Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump promised to end the fighting within six months of taking office.

Vance also voiced concerns about what he perceives as a growing trend towards censorship in Europe, a topic he initially addressed at last year’s Munich Security Conference.

“Unfortunately, you’ve seen in Europe a really significant, and I think, frankly, an evil trend towards censorship,” he said. “And you hear a lot about America’s moral leadership. One of the things that America’s moral leadership is going to be about during President Trump’s term is free speech. We want people to be able to speak their minds, and we believe that free and open debate is actually a good thing. Unfortunately, a lot of our European friends have gone the wrong direction there.”

Later this week, Vance will again attend the Munich Security Conference, where he may meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He intends to reiterate themes from last year, including the need for NATO allies to assume a greater portion of responsibility.

European leaders have been carefully watching Trump’s recent statements regarding potential tariffs on the European Union, taking control of Greenland, and his suggestion that Palestinians clear out of Gaza after the Israel-Hamas conflict concludes—a proposal rejected by Arab allies.

Advancing AI and Global Collaboration

The AI Summit brings together key industry players, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, with the goal of promoting AI advancements in sectors such as healthcare, education, the environment, and culture. Healthcare, specifically, is projected to witness a 36.4% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.

A new global public-private partnership, “Current AI,” will be launched to support large-scale initiatives benefiting the common good. This initiative is designed to support large-scale initiatives that serve the common good.

“This is the first time we’ll have had such a broad international discussion in one place on the future of AI,” said Linda Griffin, vice president of public policy at Mozilla. “I see it as a norm-setting moment.”

Nick Reiners, senior geotechnology analyst at Eurasia Group, highlighted the opportunity to reshape AI governance by “moving away from this concentration of power amongst a handful of private actors and building this public interest AI instead.”

However, U.S. support for such initiatives remains uncertain. 43% of businesses are concerned about technology dependence.

“There’s a lot of complicated questions to resolve” around issues like the ability to control AI systems, said Nobel Prize winner Demis Hassabis, founder of Google’s DeepMind research lab. “But also I think even more complicated are maybe the geopolitical questions about things like regulation.”

French organizers aim for the AI summit to spur significant investment announcements in Europe, establishing the region as a strong competitor in an industry increasingly influenced by the U.S.-China rivalry.

Macron stated that France intends to announce private AI investments totaling 109 billion euros ($113 billion) in the coming years, positioning it as “the equivalent” of Trump’s Stargate AI data centers project.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Monday voiced opposition to any restrictions on AI tool access. The release of DeepSeek has led to calls in the U.S. Congress for limitations on its use, citing security concerns.

“We oppose drawing ideological lines and oppose overstretching national security concepts and politicizing economic and trade issues,” Guo said.

He stated that China supports open-source AI technology and advocates for the accessibility of AI services to share the benefits of artificial intelligence with all nations.

India’s Role and the Geopolitical Landscape

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is co-hosting the AI summit with Macron, seeking to broaden global participation in AI development and prevent the sector from becoming solely a U.S.-China domain.

India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, emphasized the importance of equitable AI access to prevent “perpetuating a digital divide that is already existing across the world.”

Macron and Modi will travel to Marseille on Wednesday to inaugurate an Indian Consulate and visit the ITER nuclear research site.

France has emerged as a significant defense partner for India, with ongoing negotiations for New Delhi to acquire 26 Rafale fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines. Indian officials reported that discussions are in their final stages, with a potential agreement within weeks.

Experts stress the importance of responsible AI development, noting that international cooperation is key. Challenges in achieving international consensus on AI ethics and governance arise from differing national priorities and definitions of governance, highlighting the need for continued dialogue and a multi-stakeholder approach.