Among the voices calling for pragmatic action is Matt Cloke, CTO at Endava, who stresses the importance of readiness at both regulatory and organisational levels.
“While world leaders focus on governance, industry leaders must ensure that core systems—critical components for AI deployment—are properly set up, flexible, and well-integrated across business functions,” Cloke said.
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He highlighted the need for modernised core systems to facilitate AI adoption while maintaining compliance with emerging regulatory frameworks.
“By preparing now,” he added, “companies will be well-placed to benefit from the ever-evolving use cases of AI and better positioned to unlock greater business value.”
This year’s summit comes at a critical juncture for AI development. French President Emmanuel Macron opened proceedings by positioning Europe as a global leader in AI, touting the continent’s potential to accelerate innovation through a unified strategy.
Addressing an audience of investors and tech executives, Macron said: “Choose Europe and France for AI,” while emphasising France’s reliance on nuclear power as a sustainable solution to the vast energy consumption associated with AI.
Macron contrasted Europe’s approach to energy and AI with the US, pointing to the latter’s continued reliance on fossil fuels.
“I have a good friend on the other side of the ocean saying, ‘Drill, baby, drill.’ Here, there is no need to drill. It’s plug, baby, plug. Electricity is available,” Macron quipped.
The summit has also sparked controversy over a draft communique outlining the summit’s goals. Reports suggest the US and UK are hesitant to endorse the statement due to its emphasis on “sustainable and inclusive AI.”
The UK’s tech secretary, Peter Kyle, confirmed that negotiations over the statement are ongoing, adding, “We always want to get to a place of agreement, but it needs to work for the UK.”
Despite the geopolitical wrangling, the summit is expected to focus heavily on bridging the gap between AI’s potential and its practical implementation. Cloke noted that while a global framework is essential, organisations cannot wait for regulatory clarity to act.
“Modernising systems to improve data management, automation, and integration is essential,” Cloke advised. “This will allow organisations to remain agile and adapt quickly to regulatory changes while ensuring they can fully harness AI’s capabilities.”
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