India, France need "to get AI developed in a way that is closer to our cultures": French special envoy

New Delhi [India], November 7 (ANI): France's Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Anne Bouverot, stated that India and France need to collaborate to create AI that understands and reflects their respective cultures, rather than merely following Western ideas.

In an interview with ANI on Thursday, Bouverot explained how most AI systems today show limited cultural views.

"AI chatbots are like concentrated packs of culture or expressions of culture. You can think about the very few languages in which the chatbots are available. If you ask for an image of a wedding, it will give you a woman in white and a man in a black suit. And that's true in some cultures, but that's not true in all cultures," she said.

She added that both India and France have rich and diverse cultures that should be better represented in technology. "I think we share between India and France, where our cultures are broader and richer. We share a view that we need to work together to get AI developed in a way that is closer to our needs and to our cultures," Bouverot said.

Bouverot said that 2026 will be an important year for joint innovation between India and France, with both countries planning to connect their startups and AI ecosystems.

"2026 will be the year of French-Indian innovation. And that's a great opportunity to get our ecosystems, our startups, to work together," she added.

She also stated that India and France share a similar vision for utilising AI for the benefit of the people.

"I think we have a very good alignment between the vision from France and the vision from India that AI needs to be useful for our people, our users, our citizens. And therefore, I'm very interested in any use cases, in agriculture, commerce, education, and healthcare," Bouverot said.

Talking about AI regulation and ethics, Bouverot said that France and India are both trying to find a balance between encouraging innovation and ensuring safety and privacy.

"We don't give lessons, we're very willing to collaborate. Nobody gives lessons to anyone. I think we are ourselves trying to find out the right balance between innovation and regulation," she said.

She explained that protecting personal data and privacy is an important part of France's approach to AI. "In France, it's very important to protect personal data and privacy. It's linked to our history. And it's something that startups have to refer to when they deploy in France or in Europe. But equally, it's very important to innovate and to have your own startups and your own companies innovate in the field of AI," Bouverot said.

Bouverot said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France earlier this year, both sides are continuing to work closely in AI research and startup cooperation.

"There already was at the AI Action Summit in February earlier this year, a bilateral state visit for India. And Prime Minister Modi, for example, came to Station F, our largest incubator in France and in Paris, with a number of Indian companies," she said.

"This week, I will also visit some key members of the ecosystem on the India side. I'll meet with startups and researchers, and we will make sure that, similarly, when next February President Macron comes back, we come with a number of companies and startups so they can work together," she added.

India will host the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi from February 19-20, making it the first global AI conference in the Global South.

The summit, announced by Prime Minister Modi during the France AI Action Summit earlier this year, will focus on creating a responsible, fair, and inclusive global AI system.

It will also build on global efforts like the UK AI Safety Summit, the AI Seoul Summit, and the France AI Action Summit.

According to the official website, the summit will strengthen existing multilateral initiatives while advancing new priorities, deliverables, and cooperative frameworks - moving from high-level political statements to demonstrable impact and tangible progress in global AI cooperation.

Bouverot said she is visiting India to strengthen cooperation for the upcoming summit. "I'm here to help support this partnership between our two countries. I think we have a very good alignment between the vision from France and the vision from India," she said. (ANI)

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