For decades, Silicon Valley reigned supreme in the tech world. But now, a new contender has emerged – Paris. With aggressive investment and mature startup ecosystems, France is making waves in AI research and infrastructure.

The city's growing influence extends beyond startups to policymakers, enterprise leaders, investors, and researchers who are all converging on VivaTech, an annual European tech gathering that has evolved into a major global AI event. The focus of discussion is shifting from consumer-facing experimentation to enterprise deployment and cybersecurity.

Paris is not just a rising European tech hub; it’s becoming central to the global AI conversation. TechCrunch's partnership with VivaTech highlights this, as the competition for innovation showcases emerging founders on an international stage. The question of who shapes the next phase of AI might no longer be dominated by Silicon Valley.

This shift has far-reaching implications. Investors, enterprise leaders, policymakers and researchers are all at the table, questioning who gets to define the future of artificial intelligence. At VivaTech 2026, Paris will argue that its time in the spotlight is long overdue.