Governments, philanthropies and tech companies launch new partnership to promote public interest AI

PARIS, Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global public interest AI partnership, Current AI, was launched today at the AI Action Summit in Paris.

Current AI is an initial $400 million investment from the French government, AI Collaborative, other leading governments, philanthropic and industry partners. The partnership aims to raise a total of $2.5 billion over the next five years.

Other funders and partners include Google, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Salesforce. Current AI was set up to reshape the existing AI landscape by developing and supporting large-scale initiatives that serve the public interest. It will work to expand access to high-quality public and private datasets, invest in open-source tools and infrastructure to make AI more transparent and secure, and develop systems to measure AI's social and environmental impact. Key focus areas include healthcare, linguistic diversity, science, and issues such as trust and safety, and AI auditing.

Ahead of the summit, 10 governments, including Chile, Finland, Germany, and Nigeria committed to supporting the partnership and promoting AI in the public interest. They pledged to advance inclusive AI development that serves diverse communities while promoting national innovation and international cooperation.

Current AI is also supported by a group of 11 leading industry figures who have signed an open letter in support of the partnership, including Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Clément Delangue (Hugging Face), Arthur Mensch (Mistral), Eleonore Crespo (Pigment) and Fidji Simo (Instacart), bringing invaluable expertise and insight to the partnership's mission.

Martin Tisné, Founder of Current AI, said: "We have a critical window to shape the future of artificial intelligence. AI has the power to transform access to jobs, healthcare, and education for the better, but only if we act now. Current AI will drive a shift towards open, people-first technologies. We've seen the harms of unchecked tech development and the transformative potential it holds when aligned with the public interest. By supporting innovation that benefits all, we can ensure AI serves the public good."

President Emmanuel Macron, said: "Current AI can change the world of AI. By providing access to data, infrastructure, and computing power to a large number of partners, Current AI will contribute to developing our own AI ecosystems in France and Europe, diversifying the market, and fostering innovation worldwide in a fair and transparent way."

Current AI's initiatives will focus on three key areas:

• Data - Expanding access to high-value, locally relevant datasets in key areas like media, healthcare, and education.
• Openness - Promoting open standards and tools that ensure AI technologies remain accessible, adaptable, and inclusive.
• Accountability - Establishing robust frameworks for transparency, auditing, and public engagement to ensure AI systems serve the public interest.

Current AI will be working closely with donor collaboratives such as the AI for Development Funders Collaborative to advance a global AI ecosystem that serves public interest and fosters a more equitable world.

For more information, please visit currentai.org.

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