Some 100 events officially affiliated with the AI Action Summit will take place on the sidelines of the plenary session of the Heads of State and Government at the Grand Palais on 11 February 2025 in Paris.

These events, some of which will be open to the general public, will provide opportunities to engage in discussions on the major themes of the Summit.

The program of these side-events illustrates a variety of actors involved in many fields:

Some side-events are organized by international bodies (UN, UNESCO, Council of Europe), as well as other countries (the Embassy of Poland in France, the Personal Information Protection Commission of the Republic of Korea and the Infocomm Media

Development Authority/IMDA of Singapore). Numerous actors from France have also joined this program, ranging from the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), to the Banque de France, including the Ministry of Defense, which will host an event dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence in defense.

  • A dozen events will be organized by French universities (such as the Sorbonne and Sciences Po).
  • Civil society organizations have taken part in a major way in organizing these events. These include human rights organizations like Amnesty International, think tanks such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and other groups such as the Association de Philosophie Française.
  • Lastly, several companies, both French and international, will also organize events open to the public.

French and international mobilization has been strong for this program, with half of the organizers being French and the other half international.
The main themes addressed by these side-events are the following:

  • Public interest AI: some forty side-events questioning the use of AI for the benefit of society: in the discovery of medicines, the sea changes that artificial intelligence brings to the academic world, and the promotion of responsible AI that takes into account the sustainable development goals.
  • Future of work: a dozen side-events will question the transformations AI brings to the world of work, through a number of projects implemented by civil society organizations.
  • Trust in AI: this topic will be addressed in a dozen events, including several think tanks.
  • Global governance: this topic will mainly be discussed by international organizations present in Paris during the period of the Summit.
  • Innovation and culture: in addition to the discussions that will take place over the cultural weekend on 8 and 9 February in Paris, several dedicated events will also focus on culture and innovation on 11 February.

Lastly, a number of venues will welcome different actors regarding the following priorities:     

  • The "“Business Day” will bring together French and international economic stakeholders at Station F, with the aim of highlighting the transformative role of artificial intelligence for business development. This day will feature a number of initiatives promoted by actors of the French tech ecosystem – particularly France Digitale, Numeum and Station F – with the support of the Directorate General for Enterprise, in particular the Mission French Tech and Bpifrance. How to attend? Admission to the Business Day is free. There are two ways to participate:
    • Some invitations will be sent out by official Business Day partners.
    • It is also possible to request an invitation on the Business Day website (click here) within the limit of available places.
  • The World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF), 13-15 February, organized by Cannes Festival. The WAICF is in its 4th edition and will be the closing event of the AI Action Summit Week on February 13-15 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. WAICF is expected to welcome 10,000 attendees, 220 AI-focused exhibitors and 320 worldwide renowned speakers, alongside a robust conference program spotlighting four key sectors driving AI advancements: Healthcare, Banking & Finance, Manufacturing, and Retail.

  • An event at the Ecole Normale Supérieure on topics related to AI and democracy;

  • Discussions on the environmental impact of AI, hosted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

The full list of side events: click here.

Updated : 6 February 2025