France's Thales urges international framework on AI development

PARIS, Sept 17 : Europe's largest defence technology firm, France-based Thales, called on Thursday for an international framework to govern the development of artificial intelligence.

Speaking during a presentation of war-fighting technology amid a debate over the speed of AI development, CEO Patrice Caine told reporters that machines could be kept under control with adequate technical safeguards supported by government oversight.

"I am convinced that we have the ways and means to have AI under control. It's not a technical debate, it falls in the hands of governments," Caine told reporters.

"The world needs a proper framework that comes on top of these technical guarantees," he said.

The call for regulation came a day after Finance Minister Roland Lescure urged France and Europe to accelerate AI development to avoid dependence on US providers, amid a broader debate over whether AI should have more guardrails.

US President Donald Trump has dismissed calls by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and other Silicon Valley bosses to slow the pace of AI development.

AI is playing an increasingly important role on the battlefield, analysing data from drone footage and satellite imagery to identify targets and help commanders make faster decisions.

Thales and other European defence companies are rolling out their own AI-enabled targeting systems after NATO selected US analytics giant Palantir Technologies' Maven Smart System for command operations at its headquarters.

Thales said its recently launched Hexaforce system would boost both sovereignty and operational performance for NATO and its allies. It played down direct competition with Palantir, whose rapid growth has sparked concern in Europe about reliance on US technology platforms.