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Alex is an entrepreneur specializing in generative artificial intelligence.
His journey is marked by an experience at Google, where he first discovered the early stages of language models. He then founded two startups in the AI field: one focused on image generation and the other, currently in development, focused on creating French language models (LLMs).
His path illustrates a typical transition from big tech to entrepreneurship, where experience gained in large companies provides a deeper understanding of the opportunities and limitations in the market.
"At Google, I had the chance to access cutting-edge technologies, like a chatbot project in 2019 that already resembled ChatGPT," he explains.
A common question in discussions about AI is why OpenAI, a much smaller company than Google, managed to launch ChatGPT before the industry giants.
According to Alex, several factors are at play:
- The inertia of large companies: The larger a company becomes, the harder it is to innovate quickly. Google, with its 140,000 employees, couldn’t take as many risks as an agile startup.
- Fear of backlash: Google had previously faced scandals related to its AI, such as ads being displayed on violent content or bots exhibiting problematic behavior (e.g., Microsoft’s Tay). "They preferred to slow down to avoid another public relations disaster."
- The business model: "Google’s business relies 90% on advertising via its search engine. A powerful chatbot could disrupt this lucrative revenue stream."
In short, OpenAI took risks that Google couldn’t afford, allowing it to establish itself as a major player in the field.
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Contrary to popular belief, France has a particularly dynamic AI ecosystem. "From a purely technical standpoint, Paris is even ahead of San Francisco," says Alex.
This statement might be surprising, but it can be explained by several factors:
A debate is currently shaping the AI community: should we favor proprietary models (like OpenAI’s) or Open Source alternatives? "Without Open Source, I wouldn’t be here today," says Alex.
However, Open Source comes with major challenges, particularly in terms of costs and infrastructure. "Open Source models require enormous computing resources. If you want to deploy a model like Llama, your hosting costs skyrocket very quickly."
For him, the future lies in a balance between open models and proprietary solutions, with particular attention to energy efficiency—an issue that is still under-addressed but crucial for the future.
The French AI ecosystem continues to take shape around several major players:
The future of AI is not only about technology but also about its integration and adoption by businesses. What will make the difference is the ability to offer simple and effective tools for both the general public and professionals.
While some may think that the AI wave has already passed, Alex reminds us that we are just at the beginning:
"We are at year 0 of artificial intelligence. What happens in the coming years will profoundly transform the way we work and create."
With high-level technical expertise, a dynamic ecosystem, and political will to develop a sovereign AI, France has all the ingredients to become a key player in this technological revolution.
