France and India seek deeper AI ties as US restrictions expose dependence on American models

As concerns mount over the concentration of advanced artificial intelligence capabilities in the United States, France and India are positioning themselves as partners in building a more collaborative approach to the technology.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said Paris and New Delhi are committed to developing what he described as “cooperative AI”, underscoring the importance of partnerships based on trust and mutual respect. His remarks came just days after US startup Anthropic suspended access to two of its latest AI models following restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on foreign nationals.

Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Bharat Innovates’ event in Nice alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said the relationship between India and France goes beyond conventional diplomacy and is increasingly being shaped by innovation and shared technological ambitions.

France and India push for ‘cooperative AI’

“A few months ago, we jointly launched the ‘Year of French-India Innovation’ in Mumbai. The question was not whether India was innovating, but rather who would innovate in partnership with India,” Macron said.

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He added that both countries share a common vision for artificial intelligence.

“India and France believe in a true partnership, respect in cooperative AI,” he said, adding that the two nations are already working together in sectors ranging from climate and energy to nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

Macron’s comments come against the backdrop of growing debate around technological sovereignty. On Friday, Anthropic announced that it had disabled access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5, two advanced AI models powered by its flagship Mythos Preview system, after receiving directions linked to US national security concerns.

According to Axios, an administration official said the restrictions would remain in place until Washington strengthened its national security safeguards, a process that could take several weeks.

The episode has sparked fresh conversations around the world about the risks of relying heavily on a small number of American AI providers and the need for countries to develop alternative partnerships and capabilities.

Macron praises India’s innovation ecosystem

During his address, Macron also congratulated Modi on becoming India's longest-serving democratically elected prime minister since independence.

“Dear Prime Minister, I would like to congratulate you on your visit here, and just a few days ago, you became the longest-serving Prime Minister of India since its independence,” Macron said.

“This long run says a lot about your determined action or the strengths of your country and its wonderful assets and your leadership. So we are very proud to have you here.”

The French leader argued that India's demographic advantage and emphasis on science and engineering have made it one of the world's leading innovation hubs. He noted that the country produces more than one million engineers every year and described India as “a nation driven by research and innovation”.

Highlighting the country's achievements, Macron singled out the Chandrayaan-3 mission as an example of India's technological capabilities.

“With the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the feat of landing on the Moon’s south pole was accomplished in record time, thereby demonstrating India’s strength and innovative capability,” he said.

Modi, meanwhile, said the ‘Bharat Innovates’ initiative would serve as a bridge connecting Indian talent with European expertise.

“Different countries across the world do trade with each other and also strike strategic partnerships with each other. But there are few relations which are driven by shared vision, besides shared interests. India-France relations is one such tie,” he said.

According to Modi, the partnership between the two countries is defined by “connection, conviction, innovation, inspiration, shared values and shared vision”.

The two leaders jointly inaugurated the event, which brought together leading startups and venture capital firms from India, France and other countries. They also agreed to establish a high-level mechanism aimed at doubling bilateral trade within five years and launched a new Economic Security Dialogue to strengthen supply chain resilience, particularly in critical minerals.

As geopolitical tensions increasingly shape access to advanced technologies, both leaders signalled that cooperation, rather than isolation, would define the next phase of the India-France partnership.