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Summit for Action on AI: Europe stifled by its own rules?
Donald Trump is banking on lighter regulations, while China propels DeepSeek to the top in record time. Caught within the constraints of the AI Act, can Europe still claim to play a key role in the race for technological innovation?
DeepSeek shakes up Meta and Open AI with its “frugal” model?
Chinese startup DeepSeek revealed its open source AI model R1 earlier this week, which significantly competes with OpenAI’s o1 model on several key benchmarks. Even more surprising, the company claims to have trained R1 at a cost of just 5.6 million eurosan amount much lower than the hundreds of millions invested by American leaders.
A figure which did not fail to arouse strong skepticism from many experts, who while they recognize the creative power of frugality, believe that such advances require more resources than those declared by the CEO of DeepSeek. The conquest of AI has clearly been transposed into the field of psychological warfare.
On the code side, DeepSeek relied on open technologies like PyTorch and Llama to develop R1. For Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, DeepSeek perfectly illustrates the advantage of open source over proprietary models.
What is verifiable is that DeepSeek’s AI assistant has become the most downloaded free app on the App Store, surpassing ChatGPT. It must be said that the app is dissected by all American developers interested in the subject.
With QuantumLight, Nik Storonsky, CEO of Revolut, is banking on artificial intelligence to create a breakthrough in venture capital, equivalent to the arrival of algorithmic approaches used in finance on Wall Street. Founded in 2022, the $200 million fund uses an algorithm that can analyze and select the best investment opportunities more quickly and accurately than 95% of analysts working within an investment fund. In two years, QuantumLight has invested in 12 startups, the performance obtained remains to be monitored. See you in the next episode!
Trump in favor of an agreement with Oracle to acquire TikTok?
The Trump administration is reportedly working on a deal to transfer control of TikTok’s global operations to Oracle and a group of U.S. investors, while letting ByteDance, the app’s Chinese owner, retain a minority stake. This project, currently being negotiated, provides for Oracle to supervise the algorithms and data collection, thus meeting national security requirements. Estimated to be worth at least 200 billion euros, TikTok faces legal pressure to separate from ByteDance or face banning in the United States.
Paul McCartney denounces a digital “Wild West” linked to AI
In an interview with the BBC, Sir Paul McCartney denounced the British government’s proposals which would allow AI developers to use online content without the explicit consent of the authors. According to him, these changes risk depriving artists of their income and discouraging creativity. Although he recognizes the beneficial uses of AI, such as in John Lennon’s vocal reconstruction for the last Beatles song, Sir Paul warned that these measures could create a digital “Wild West” where the rights of creators are would be more protected.
Andreessen Horowitz closes its London office to refocus on the American market
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of the world’s largest venture capital funds, has announced the closure of its London office, less than two years after opening.
+ EXPERIENCES
DeepSeek in 6 points: what you need to know about how it works
Best practices: GAP Selling: a pragmatic approach to closing the gaps and transforming B2B selling
In our series on different sales techniques, this week we are focusing on GAP Selling.
+ FUNDRAISING
From idea to impact: 4elements raises 27.4 million euros to redefine climate venture building
- Augmented messaging: Kraaft raises 13 million euros to digitalize construction
- Karmen raises 9 million euros to enrich its financing offer for VSEs and SMEs
The NERVE OF WAR, the podcast not to be missed with FYGR, cash tracking tool
To include in your diary:
The 9th edition of the Summits will be held on April 7 and 8 in Méribel
On April 7 and 8, Méribel, in the heart of the 3 Valleys, will host the 9th edition of the Summits, a flagship meeting for decision-makers and opinion leaders. This event, led by Xavier Wargnier and his team, will offer two days of discussion and reflection around the theme of performance in a context marked by current challenges.
Among the speakers announced: Jérôme Kerviel, Florian Delmas (CEO of Andros), Philippe Dessertine (economist), Marion Darrieutort (CEO of The Arcane), Mathieu Blanchard (ultra-trailer), etc.
L’X hosts the scientific portion of the AI Action Summit on February 6 and 7, 2025
Today’s job offer with ALTAIDE recruitment firm
Alan recruits his CEO Founder Associate for a strategic internship in 2025
Alan opens up a unique opportunity for a intern at the end of studies or in a gap year : the position of CEO Founder Associateto be filled between June and December 2025 for a period of six months. This internship offers a strategic immersion at the heart of the company’s priorities, under the direct supervision of the CEO and Alan’s managers.
The mission includes: strategic analyses, coordination of cross-functional projects, management of new products, and support for calls for tenders and fundraising.
👉 In short, a rare opportunity to be at the heart of Alan’s strategic decisions
🥐 Previous editions of GOOD MORNING FRENCHWEB:
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- Clementine: from bootstrap to exit / Brutal brake for Angell bikes / OpenAI unveils Operator
- Between Sam Altman and Elon Musk the rag burns / CA record for HELLOWORK / Paid, Earned or Owned Media, what priorities?
- YOUNITED loses its unicorn status / Microsoft loses its exclusivity with OPEN AI / The American government has a stake in TIKTOK?
- Jean de la Rochebrochard joins Cassius / Trump redraws the contours of tech by decree / Younited goes live on Euronext Paris
🚀 To read on FRENCHWEB.FR:
- Entrepreneurship in 2025: what levers to adapt to a year of crisis?
- Ledger co-founder David Balland kidnapped and released after ransom demand
- Stargate: a strategic investment of $500 billion to counter China’s technological rise
- 5 essential tools to optimize your customer relations