As I write, many influential people worldwide are getting ready to head to Paris, and it seems like many are holding their breath.
On Monday, at the beautiful 125-year-old Grand Palais, representatives from 80 countries, including world leaders, tech executives, academics, and other experts, will gather for a two-day global summit. They will discuss the current progress and future goals for the rapidly evolving and highly disruptive technology of artificial intelligence.
This might be the official agenda of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, but there's something else fueling this particular discussion: DeepSeek.
A horse racing fan once told me that the night before a big race, everyone feels like a winner.
With China dramatically shifting the AI competition with DeepSeek, its super-efficient and viral AI assistant, there's a growing sense before the summit that the leading position held by the US AI sector, despite its vast resources and AI infrastructure, might not be as secure. Prof. Gina Neff from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy at the University of Cambridge says there is currently "a vacuum for global leadership on AI."
Prof. Dame Wendy Hall from Southampton University agrees. "DeepSeek made everyone realize that China is a force to be reckoned with," says the computer scientist.
"We don't have to just follow what the big companies on the West Coast are saying. We need global dialogue."
In this regard, the timing of the summit couldn't be better.
Europe also sees a chance to make a new bid for the AI crown. One of French President Emmanuel Macron's officials described the summit to journalists as a "wake-up call" for France and Europe, adding that the bloc must not let the AI revolution "pass it by."
Other countries also recognize a potential shift in AI power. India's PM Narendra Modi has confirmed his attendance at this summit, having not attended previous gatherings.
The US is sending significant representatives as a defensive signal, including Vice President JD Vance, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, and Google's Sundar Pichai.
Elon Musk is notably absent from the official guest list, but he will undoubtedly have something to say about it all, whether he's there in person or not.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also reportedly staying away.