Mistral CEO Defends AI Use in Military Applications

Mistral CEO and co-founder Arthur Mensch said Europe must maintain artificial intelligence capabilities because other countries are already using the technology in military contexts. “We’re all for peace, but if you look at our rivals and adversaries in the world, they’re using artificial intelligence… As long as we have adversaries that are threatening, and they are threatening, we do need to have our own capabilities,” Mensch said.

Mistral announced plans for a new data center in Les Ulis, France, with 10 megawatts of computing power scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2026. The project forms part of a €4 billion investment plan that includes two previously announced centers in Sweden and France. The company aims to reach 200 megawatts of total computing power by the end of 2027.

Mensch addressed concerns about artificial intelligence, including student protests at graduation ceremonies. He described the reaction as expected given the technology’s impact on work patterns. “I think there is some expected anguish around artificial intelligence, in that it’s profoundly changing the way people are working,” Mensch said.

“It’s not the first time that people are a bit anguished at something coming up. But we’ll be fine. We’ll find a way to use it efficiently,” he added. Mistral provides AI models to the French military.