The move came shortly after the US government ordered Anthropic to block access to two powerful AI models for non-US citizens. Anthropic subsequently restricted access for all users, sparking calls in France for greater independence from the US in AI development.
“We cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere,” Lecornu said in a video. France must not rely on the “goodwill of certain partners” who could cut off access to AI applications. The goal is to “build genuine autonomy.”
The 655 million euros are to be channeled into research, companies, and industrial sectors. The head of the French employers’ association criticized the sum as too small – it reflects the limited resources available to France due to its public finances.
Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel, a supporter of US Donald Trump. The company’s software unifies data and makes it immediately analyzable with AI. France plans to work with French startup Chapsvision, which generated 200 million euros in revenue in 2025.
Source: www.spiegel.de
