The French government announced on Tuesday that it will contract only with ‘sovereign’ artificial intelligence providers and has explicitly excluded OpenAI, Finance Minister David Amiel said. The statement indicated that preferred suppliers must meet France’s sovereignty and security requirements; it did not detail the specific procurement criteria or mechanisms.
Context: recent cyberattack on tax authority
The decision follows a cyberattack on the French tax authority disclosed by the government last Thursday, in which data belonging to about 700,000 taxpayers were stolen. Amélie Verdier, head of the tax authority, reported on Monday an additional data leak that is currently under investigation. Those incidents have heightened security concerns and influenced the government’s stance on which AI providers it will use.
Use of AI to probe vulnerabilities
On the same day, Amiel said the government will deploy AI tools to identify vulnerabilities in public administration systems against cyberattacks. The announcement suggests the state intends both to strengthen its own security-testing capabilities and to favor suppliers it deems sovereign.
Why this matters
The move highlights growing caution among European governments toward foreign AI platforms, especially when sensitive state or personal data are involved. Requiring ‘sovereign’ providers is likely to shape future public procurement and the structure of the technology supplier market in France.
Current status and next steps
The government’s statement did not provide a detailed timetable for awarding contracts to specific sovereign providers, although Mistral was mentioned by name as a possible participant. Investigations into the cyber incidents and the newly reported data leak remain ongoing.
