Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of Armed Forces, inaugurated the AMIAD research hub, the Ministerial Agency for Defense Artificial Intelligence, last Tuesday on the École Polytechnique (X) campus in Palaiseau, and announced an investment of 15 million euros for the construction of a Defense Institute on the campus. A highlight of the inauguration was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between AMIAD and the French unicorn Mistral AI.
Since 2018, the Ministry of Armed Forces decided to invest in AI. The following year, Florence Parly, Minister of Armed Forces, presented her strategy on artificial intelligence, emphasizing it as a priority for French national defense.
Launched in May 2024, AMIAD's mission is to enable France to sovereignly master defense AI to avoid dependence on other powers. With a budget of 300 million euros, it currently employs about a hundred people, including researchers and civilian and military experts, and plans to triple its workforce by 2026.
Led by Bertrand Rondepierre, X2010 and a former student of ENS Cachan, rapporteur of the Villani mission on AI, the agency is divided into two entities. While its technical hub is located in Bruz, near Rennes, home to the 2nd Regiment of Equipment (2e Rmat), specialized in the maintenance of Army equipment, and the DGA Information Mastery site, a technical expert of the Ministry of Armed Forces, particularly in cybersecurity, its research hub is based at the X-Novation Center, under the direction of Michaël Krajecki.
The research hub aims to accelerate the development of defense AI by promoting academic and industrial collaborations. It aspires to develop cutting-edge technologies, raise awareness among young researchers about these issues, and contribute to France's recognition on the international stage.
Since its creation, AMIAD has worked on various projects, including new jamming systems, and collaborated on the development of GenIAl.intradef, a secure and sovereign generative AI solution for the Ministry of Armed Forces. It has also contracted the purchase of the most powerful classified supercomputer in Europe dedicated to defense AI in partnership with companies HP and Orange.
The Creation of a Defense Institute
Sébastien Lecornu officially launched, during the inauguration, a program of autonomous robots operating in packs, entrusted to AMIAD. He also announced a 15 million euro investment from the Ministry of Armed Forces for the construction of a defense institute on the École Polytechnique site, aimed at strengthening ties between the institution and the ministry.
Historically, École Polytechnique has always maintained a close relationship with the armed forces since its military status was acquired in 1804 under Napoleon I. This new institute confirms the desire to strengthen this connection in a context where technology plays a decisive role in defense strategies.
A Partnership with Mistral AI to Strengthen Technological Sovereignty
A highlight of the inauguration was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Bertrand Rondepierre, director of AMIAD, and Guillaume Lample, X2011, scientific director and co-founder of Mistral AI. This collaboration aims to develop advanced technologies to ensure French technological sovereignty in defense.
The partnership is based on two major axes:
- Research on strategic themes such as multimodal models, robotics, automation, and embedded systems;
- The industrialization of certain products intended to equip the armed forces.
This rapprochement reflects a desire to accelerate the deployment of AI technologies while maintaining national control over these sensitive developments.