In his lecture, Mr de Rivoire discussed the development of artificial intelligence in the French, European as well as global context. According to a study by Oxford University (2013), 47% of jobs in the US and 35% in the UK are at „high risk“ over the period of 20 years. At the same time, the investments by various countries into R&D in AI technologies over the recent years have reach billions of dollars. The European Union has proposed a Digital Europe agenda to boost competitiveness and use of digital technologies over the coming years.

In light of these trends, France has announced its AI agenda, which includes initiatives such as targeted investments into R&D; developing an open data policy, especially in areas where France already has the potential for AI excellence (e.g. healthcare); and ethics considerations, above all, to promote transparency and fairness in AI development and protect French and European autonomy.

Mr de Rivoire also recognised the progress Estonia has made with its digital ecosystem, such as the use of open data, especially in public service; or the build-up of extensive start-up network.