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Featuring prominent technology CEOs and a presidential appearance, the upcoming VIVATECH trade fair in Paris, set to open on Wednesday, aims to highlight potential economic gains driven by advancements in artificial intelligence.
The highlight on the first day of this year’s four-day event will be NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, aiming to leave his mark in Europe with a company that specializes in producing the majority of AI-focused computational hardware.
President Emmanuel Macron, who frequently participates in VIVATECH, is scheduled to visit the exhibition center near southern Paris, according to an announcement from the Elysée Palace. The program includes a walk-through and informal discussions with "French Tech" start-ups.
Technology observers anticipate an unprecedented number of exhibits featuring AI-integrated products for daily use at the showrooms.
"The change from past years is that we have transitioned from AI being considered science fiction to practical applications of AI," said Francois Bitouzet, managing director at Vivatech, during an interview with AFP.
He wandered through approximately 30 sectors featuring tangible AI-driven offerings, spanning various domains such as luxury goods, insurance, healthcare, energy, automobiles, logistics, and many others.
Approximately 14,000 startup companies along with over 3,000 investors are anticipated to journey to Paris from various countries globally. Meanwhile, event organizers predict that the overall attendance will be comparable to last year’s figure of at least 165,000 visitors.
Nvidia headlining
Nvidia's Huang — probably wearing his signature leather jacket — will have prime time with an introductory speech planned to run for over an hour.
Bitouzet stated that it was a matter of pride for them to onboard Nvidia, a major player in semiconductors, due to their powerful GPUs being extensively utilized to drive the most advanced generative AI models.
"The demonstration shows that the European market, particularly the French one, holds appeal and that Nvidia currently harbors aspirations for this market," said the head of VIVATECH.
Cedric Foray, EY's leader for technology, media, and telecommunications in Europe, anticipates that "Nvidia will likely make specific announcements aimed at the European market."
The American company has faced export limitations on its leading-edge processors imposed by both the Joe Biden and Donald Trump administrations, as U.S. policymakers remain wary about relinquishing America’s dominance in artificial intelligence technology.
Huang has cautioned that China is still progressing rapidly with the aim of closing the gap.
The May earnings report showed minimal evidence of the effects from export limitations on Nvidia's chipset sales.
However, the firm has cautioned that the deceleration impact could be more pronounced in this quarter.
Tech sovereignty
Many European technology leaders and policy makers also focus heavily on US politics.
Issues vary from Trump's unpredictable tariff policies to Europe's capability to thrive independently without major U.S.-based companies, along with the substantial disparity in AI research funding across the Atlantic.
" sovereignty was not as significant in discussions one or two years back, but now it has emerged as an absolute strategic priority," Bitouzet stated.
The Elysée Palace stated that Macron is anticipated to once more highlight "Europe's technological independence."
Comments like these from the president would add to his promotion of France's and Europe's receptiveness to AI during a worldwide summit held in Paris in February.
Top French firms at Vivatech -- where around half the exhibitors are local companies -- will include Mistral AI, a French competitor to much-bigger OpenAI.
Arthur Mensch, the founder of Mistral, will join a discussion on AI alongside Macron and Huang at the conclusion of the first day's events during a roundtable session.
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