Paris Power Split, China’s Lean Genius, EU’s Risk Pass, and Australia’s Trust Bid

Good morning. Welcome to the Executive Brief: 10+ hours of AI breakthroughs, distilled into a crisp 5-minute read. We deliver intelligence for executives who want to stay ahead. First-mover insights only.

In this week’s edition, it’s a Paris showdown, China’s budget brilliance, EU dodging rules, and Australia picking a side. Here’s the unfiltered scoop for leaders who don’t just play—they win.

Let’s get right to it.

Today’s Brief

• Paris Summit exposes global AI rifts

• China’s DeepSeek rewrites the cost game

• EU Rejects AI Liability rules

• Australia Joins Paris for ethical AI

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AI News

Paris Summit: AI’s Geopolitical Fault Lines Crack Open

The Brief: The Feb 10-11 Paris AI Action Summit saw 61 nations push “inclusive” AI, but the U.S. and UK bailed on the deal—Trump’s crew wants speed, not shackles.

The Details:

• Heavy Hitters: France’s $113B private AI pledge and India’s co-chair gig led 61 nations to a “trust-first” pact—U.S. VP Vance skipped it, citing Trump’s deregulation EO.

• Clash Zone: The U.S. revoked EO 14110 for unfettered innovation; Paris countered with ethics and collaboration—China’s DeepSeek stole the spotlight.

• Stakes: Global AI norms are up for grabs—speed vs. safety, dominance vs. dialogue.

Why I Think It Matters:
Picture this: Paris, all fancy suits and $113B promises, while the U.S. struts off like, “Rules? Nah.” America is flooring it, betting on chaos to win, while 61 nations clutch their ethical pearls. Make no mistake about it, this is a race but we need to be careful with this technology. Trust me on this—speed’s sexy, but trust’s the tiebreaker.

Bottom Line: Drill down on your global bets—synergy with trust wins long-term.

China’s DeepSeek: Budget AI That Punches Above Its Weight

The Brief: DeepSeek-V2.5, China’s 180-billion-parameter AI, launched Feb 12 at $0.014 per million tokens—matching GPT-4’s brains for pennies.

The Details:

• Cheap & Mighty: Hunan’s DeepSeek team built it lean—0.1 yuan per million tokens vs. ChatGPT’s $5-$10—shocking Paris Summit attendees.

• Next Frontier: Multimodal (text, images) is in the works—think budget AI with big ambitions.

• Ripple Effect: The West’s $500B Stargate looks a bit bloated when China’s winning on efficiency.

Why I Think It Matters:
Story time: a Hunan startup strolls in, drops a formidable GPT-competitor, and pays with loose change. Talk about a wake-up call. While Silicon Valley’s invests in high-powering data centers, China’s cooking AI on a shoestring and serving it hot. Philosophically, it’s brilliant—after all, efficiency beats excess, right? And DeepSeek’s the low-hanging fruit nobody saw coming. This could flood markets while you’re still budgeting bandwidth.

Bottom Line: Pivot to lean AI—scalable doesn’t have to mean spendy.

EU Rejects AI Liability: Free Rein, Big Risks

The Brief: EU Parliament axed the AI Liability Directive Feb 18, dodging rules that’d pin firms for AI screw-ups—innovation cheers, accountability shrugs.

The Details:

• The Vote: 312-297 to ditch strict liability—think no penalties for AI-driven flops like biased hiring.

• Why Now: U.S. deregulation vibes and Macron’s “simplify” nudge swayed it—EU AI Act (2026) still looms.

• Fallout: Businesses breathe easier, but trust takes a hit when AI misfires.

Why I Think It Matters:
The EU just said, “AI’s off the leash—good luck!” Imagine your AI bot tanks a deal—no one’s liable. Beautiful chaos, right? Betting it’s the U.S. shadow—deregulation’s contagious, and Europe’s caving. Philosophically, it’s a tightrope: unleash the cutting edge, but if it cuts, you bleed. Trust is the victim here.

Bottom Line: Lean heavily into ethics—liability’s out, so trust is your value add.

Australia Backs Paris: Ethical AI Gets a Down-Under Boost

The Brief: Australia signed the Paris AI Summit statement, aligning with 61 nations for “open, ethical” AI—contrasting the U.S.’s go-fast approach.

The Details:

• The Move: Feb 11, Australia joined France, India, and others, pushing trust and collaboration over raw speed.

• Context: Paris pledged $113B; Australia’s play is smaller but signals intent—ethics as a drawcard.

• Why: Ties to Indo-Pacific goals—think countering China with principle, not just power.

Why I Think It Matters:
We’ve seen this before: GDPR made Europe the data cop; now Paris wants moral high ground. Philosophically, it’s gutsy—opportunity wearing a disguise. If China’s DeepSeek floods the field, Australia’s “nice guy” AI could be the win-win nobody expects. I’ll return to this: circle back to trust—industry leader status starts here.