Mistral CEO pushes back against Pope's AI disarmament call as Europe races for tech sovereignty

At a glance:

• Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch argues Europe cannot afford to fall behind U.S. tech giants in AI development
• Mistral announces new 10-megawatt data center near Paris and partnerships with Airbus and BMW
• Pope Leo XIV calls for AI to be "disarmed" in new encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas"

The Geopolitical AI Race

Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch is pushing back against Pope Leo XIV's recent call for AI to be "disarmed," arguing that Europe can't afford to fall behind U.S. tech giants in the race for advanced AI. "We're all for peace, but if you look at our rivals and adversaries in the world, they're using artificial intelligence... As long as we have adversaries that are threatening, and they are threatening, we do need to have our own capabilities," Mensch told reporters when asked about the Pope's comments on Thursday, Reuters reports. His remarks highlight the growing tension between ethical considerations and geopolitical competition in the AI landscape.

The French AI company is positioning itself as Europe's homegrown alternative to U.S.-based AI rivals like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Microsoft. This positioning comes amid increasing concerns about Europe's dependence on American technology and the potential consequences of falling behind in the AI race. Mistral's strategy involves not only developing competitive AI models but also building the necessary infrastructure to support them, as evidenced by their announcement of a new 10-megawatt data center near Paris.

Europe's Tech Independence Push

Mensch's argument echoes similar sentiments expressed by European leaders who are increasingly advocating for tech independence. "In this new geopolitical environment, Europe has to become a geopolitical power," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Munich Security Conference in February. "It's ongoing, but we have to accelerate and clearly deliver all the components of a geopolitical power, in defence, in technology, and in the derisking vis-à-vis all the big powers in order to be much more independent." This push for autonomy has gained momentum amid the Trump administration's foreign policies toward Europe, including tariffs and discussions about taking over Greenland.

France has already taken concrete steps toward reducing its reliance on American technology. Earlier this year, the French government announced it would stop using American video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, opting instead for the French platform Visio. More significantly, France has signed a deal for its armed forces to use Mistral's models and software, demonstrating the strategic importance the country places on developing domestic AI capabilities. The broader European Union is also moving in this direction, with the European Commission reportedly working on legislation aimed at promoting tech sovereignty across the bloc. This tech sovereignty package is expected to be unveiled on June 3.

The Pope's Warning

Pope Leo XIV took on AI this week in a new encyclical that touched on everything from deepfakes and AI companions to the technology's impact on the job market and warfare. Titled "Magnifica Humanitas," the encyclical addresses the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. "In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human," the Pope wrote. The encyclical represents a significant religious voice in the ongoing debate about AI development and regulation.

The Pope's call for AI to be "disarmed" stands in stark contrast to the competitive stance taken by companies like Mistral and governments pursuing AI advancement. While acknowledging the potential benefits of AI, the encyclical emphasizes the need to protect human dignity and prevent new forms of dehumanization. This perspective adds another layer to the complex discussions surrounding AI governance, ethics, and development priorities, particularly in Europe where the intersection of technology, ethics, and policy is increasingly prominent.

Mistral's Strategic Position

Mistral executives argue that the company, and Europe more broadly, need to achieve artificial general intelligence and eventually superintelligence as a matter of geopolitical security. "Very soon in the future, we are probably going to see AGI or superintelligence, so it is very important that we have access to these models also in Europe," Guillaume Lample, Mistral's co-founder and chief scientist, said this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. "If we don't have access to it, I think we can only imagine how bad it is going to be." Lample insisted that the emergence of these advanced models could lead to a cure for cancer and other major scientific breakthroughs that Europe could be blocked from accessing if it does not have its own superintelligent AI.

The company's strategy involves not only developing advanced AI models but also establishing partnerships with major European corporations. Mistral recently signed new deals with European giants Airbus and BMW, indicating growing confidence in the company's technology and its potential applications across various industries. These partnerships, combined with the new data center near Paris, represent a significant investment in Europe's AI infrastructure and position Mistral as a key player in the continent's tech sovereignty efforts.

The Open vs. Closed Model Divide

The global AI landscape is increasingly characterized by a divide between open and closed approaches to model development. China's strongest AI labs have leaned heavily into open-weight releases—models whose weights can be downloaded and reused—while the top U.S. frontier labs still mostly keep their best systems closed. This divide has significant implications for global AI development, access, and governance, as different approaches reflect different priorities regarding innovation, control, and accessibility.

Mistral's position in this landscape remains somewhat ambiguous, as the company has not clearly committed to either the fully open approach favored by some Chinese labs or the more controlled approach typical of U.S. frontier labs. The company's emphasis on European tech sovereignty suggests a desire for controlled access to advanced AI capabilities, while its partnerships with major industrial partners indicate practical applications of its technology. As the global AI competition intensifies, the balance between openness and control will likely remain a critical factor in determining which regions and organizations lead in this transformative technology.