First part of a series of article on French AI Policy that I’m currently writing as part of the Inkhaven Residency.

For three centuries, France has stood among the great powers of the world, and there it wants to stay. Now, far from the heyday of La Belle Époque, where the French Empire stood shoulder to shoulder with the British Empire, France has resisted the pressures to align too closely with the world superpowers, lest it become just a vassal state. French pride mandates that French sovereignty must be preserved.

As World War II came to an end, the two blocs of the Cold War emerged. Despite the pressures to align, France was not willing to trust the US security guarantees. It needed a seat at the table. France secured its own permanent seat at the UN security council in 1945, its own nuclear weapons in 1960, and its energy independence through nuclear power in the 70s, even withdrawing from part of NATO in 1966. It seems that history may have proven them right; as Trump hints that the US might not come to defend Europe, France stands secure with its own nuclear deterrence force, even suggesting France might [...]

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First published:
November 11th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/rRXoZDYuGDrqhFH6i/france-is-ready-to-stand-alone

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“France is ready to stand alone” by Lucie Philippon

LessWrong (30+ Karma)