France advances AI law and government investment for public services

The French Senate unanimously approved a bill that would create a legal presumption that artificial‑intelligence systems use cultural content, shifting the burden of proof onto AI providers. The proposal, backed by senator Laure Darcos, moves to the National Assembly on 11 June and faces more than a hundred amendments from the presidential majority, which the cultural sector argues are obstructive.

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a €655 million boost to AI under the France 2030 plan. The funding will fund a sovereign conversational assistant for public servants, a health‑AI tool for the Ameli portal, and a new platform to open government data. The government frames the measures as a way to protect French sovereignty, enhance public services and secure a strategic position in AI against foreign‑origin tools.