OpenAI chief: Macron is the world’s most impressive leader on artificial intelligence

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

“The person who came to mind as you said that is the French president,” Altman told Decoded co-author and POLITICO technology reporter Brendan Bordelon, in response to the question of who had impressed him most with their policy or plans for artificial intelligence technology.

“I think [Macron] is extremely thoughtful and has thought for a long time about where this is going and what its shape should look like,” Altman said.

The recognition matters because Macron has sought to use his leadership to promote artificial intelligence 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 elections in April 2027. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who leads in the polls, is backing a policy of artificial intelligence deregulation, three senior party officials told POLITICO.

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

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

Macron himself has been a major supporter of the French artificial intelligence laboratory Mistral. Next month he will host the annual Paris Peace Forum — one of his favourite diplomatic projects — to focus on artificial intelligence safety and the risks the technology poses to children and adolescents.

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