Mistral CEO defends military AI, launches French data center

PARIS, May 28 – The founder of French artificial intelligence company Mistral defended the use of AI in military applications on Thursday, responding to recent criticism from Pope Leo. The company simultaneously announced plans for a new data center in France as part of a major expansion strategy.

Arthur Mensch, Mistral's CEO and co-founder, stated that while the company supports peace, Europe must develop its own defensive AI capabilities in response to rivals and adversaries who are already deploying the technology. He emphasized the need for such capabilities given the existence of threats. Mistral currently provides AI models to the French military.

Pope Leo issued a document earlier this week calling for international regulation to curb the development of AI systems. The document warned that AI could spread misinformation and risk fueling perpetual conflict, and specifically criticized the use of AI in warfare.

In addition to addressing the papal criticism, Mistral announced a new data center in Les Ulis, France. The facility is slated to open in the third quarter of 2026 and will provide 10 megawatts of computing power. This project is part of a broader 4 billion investment...