Gabriel Attal wanted on Tuesday to put artificial intelligence (AI) developed in France “at the service” of users and civil servants and announced the creation of 300 additional France Services houses by 2026 to “simplify” the daily lives of French people in their procedures administrative. “Let’s dare to put AI at the service of the French. Let’s debureaucratize the administration and simplify daily life,” said the Prime Minister after visiting the France Services house in Sceaux, in Hauts-de-Seine, which already uses generative AI 100% French.
A 100% French AI named Albert
Gabriel Attal made this trip after bringing together around fifteen ministers in Matignon for an 8th interministerial committee of the Civil Service (CITP). The tax administration will deploy a 100% French AI named Albert, designed by the interministerial digital department (Dinum), “to write responses to the 16 million annual online requests”, he said.
Each response will nevertheless be validated or modified if necessary by an agent. “But the analysis of regulations will be automated, responses drastically accelerated and the work of agents made less painful and more interesting,” he argued. Likewise, 4,000 environmental projects submitted each year to regional environmental directorates will now be “pre-instructed by an AI”, such as wind farm or urban development projects.
This AI will also be used “from the end of the year” to automate the transcription of legal hearings, the filing of complaints or medical reports. It will also be used for the detection of forest fires or the HR management of civil servants.
“AI will not replace public officials”
“AI will not replace public officials,” insisted Gabriel Attal. “AI and the human presence are highly compatible and will even be able to strengthen each other: for AI the boring tasks, and for public agents the link with our fellow citizens,” he continued. Faced with the complexity of the administration, he also announced the launch of an audit, “ministry by ministry, to review all online content and forms” and make the administrative language “intelligible, accessible”.
The head of government finally confirmed that the online voting proxy, possible in the next European elections, would be extended to other ballots. Gabriel Attal also announced the opening of new France Services spaces, which allow users to get help with most of their administrative procedures, in 300 medium-sized towns by 2026.
3,000 houses France Services
The territory will thus have around 3,000 France Services houses, each subsidized to the tune of 40,000 euros in 2024, detailed Matignon. The amount of state subsidies for the years 2025 and 2026, however, has not been decided.
Finally, for local authorities, the obligation to empty municipal swimming pools every year will be ended, a measure which should allow them to save 30 million euros per year, according to the Prime Minister. Asked about the overall amount of savings expected from the various commitments announced on Tuesday, Matignon replied that he had not produced any figures.