A new global public interest AI partnership, with an initial investment of $400 million, was unveiled to promote AI in the public interest.
Dubbed “Current AI”, the initiative was launched during the France AI Action Summit in Paris with support from the French government, AI collaborative, leading governments, philanthropic and industry partners.
The partnership aims to raise a total of $2.5 billion over the next five years.
Current AI was set up to reshape the existing AI landscape by developing and supporting large-scale initiatives that serve the public interest.
It seeks to expand access to high-quality public and private datasets, invest in open-source tools and infrastructure to make AI more transparent and secure, as well as develop systems to measure AI’s social and environmental impact.
Key focus areas will 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.
These nations pledged to advance inclusive AI development that serves diverse communities while promoting national innovation and international cooperation.
Current AI founder Martin Tisné, said the partnership will drive a shift towards open, people-first technologies.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
On his part, 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 aims to also work 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.
Other funders and partners of the initiative include Google, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Salesforce.
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 LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman, Hugging Face’s Clément Delangue, Mistral’s Arthur Mensch, Pigment’s Eleonore Crespo and Instacart’s Fidji Simo, bringing invaluable expertise and insight to the partnership’s mission.
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