Paving the way for innovations that were once out of reach, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be a general-purpose technology, just like the steam engine, electricity and electronics in past industrial revolutions. In the space of just a few years, AI has extended into sectors as diverse as transport, telecommunications, healthcare, education, justice and safety. In a field involving such colossal investment costs, French and European decision makers must have a detailed understanding of the comparative advantages enjoyed by their own country and its competitors in AI-related fields in order to target specific investments that will allow them to make the necessary quantitative effort to expand their market share in key sectors.