French President Emmanuel Macron has called for his country’s AI leaders to challenge the “insane” dominance of US and Chinese tech giants. Macron’s plea comes amid a boom period for French AI. Led by OpenAI rival Mistral, the country has become a European hotbed for artificial intelligence.  The blend of highly-skilled talent, increased government support, and growing investment streams has created fertile ground for startups. Mistral, the sector’s darling, is barely a year old and already reportedly seeking a $6bn valuation. Another candidate for the French tech crown is H (formerly Holistic), which this week announced a whopping $220mn seed round.…

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