Sam Altman praises Emmanuel Macron's approach to AI

OpenAI’s Sam Altman named French President Emmanuel Macron as the world leader who stands out for their approach to AI in an exclusive interview with Decoded by POLITICO.

“The person that came to mind as you were saying that is the French president,” Altman told Decoded co-author and POLITICO senior tech reporter Brendan Bordelon in response to being asked who has impressed him the most with their AI policy or plans for the technology.

“I think [Macron] is extremely thoughtful and has been for a long time about where this is going and what the shape of it needs to look like,” Altman said.

The recognition is notable because Macron has sought to use his leadership to push AI safety on the global stage, and because the French president is months away from leaving office.

After two terms as president, Macron is barred from running in the next election in April 2027. The far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who is leading in the polls, is advocating a policy of deregulation on AI, three senior party officials told POLITICO.

Le Pen's National Rally party also wants to become less dependent on foreign tech companies and is considering reviving a proposal for a sovereign wealth fund to channel money toward French tech leaders such as OVH or Mistral, as well as favoring French companies in public contracts.

Some party figures have even threatened to repatriate French capital invested in American tech — €80 billion, according to party official Alexandre Loubet — without specifying how.

Macron himself has been a major champion of the French AI lab Mistral. Next month he’ll host the annual Paris Peace Forum — one of his pet diplomatic projects — to focus on AI safety and the risks technology poses to children and teenagers.

The Altman interview appears in Monday’s debut edition of Decoded by POLITICO and its accompanying daily podcast, covering global technology and focused on the personalities, political shifts and policy battles shaping the future of the world.