> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 🤖 La Machine #90: AI Regulation Gets Real - URL: https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/la-machine-90-ai-regulation-gets-real/ - Published: 2026-09-02T06:00:06.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-02T06:00:06.000Z - Description: Brussels starts enforcing the AI Act, ChatGPT gets a new legal identity, Anthropic takes on Trump, and French startup INCOM bets technology can make work more secure. - Author: Chris O'Brien - Tags: La Machine: AI Newsletter, AI 👋 **Inside this week's edition:** 🧠 What if gig workers could keep the freedom of the open road without giving up the safety net? French startup INCOM is betting drivers can have both - using tech to turn platform work into something that looks a lot more like a job, without the nine-to-five.[**Read all about it here**](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/what-if-gig-workers-could-have-the-freedom-of-freelancers-and-the-security-of-employees-incom-says-its-possible/)**.** **Chris O'Brien + Helen O'Reilly-Durand** --- SPONSORED [![CTA Image](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/content/images/2026/09/GBC_Paris_-_newsletter_banner_468x60.png)](https://luma.com/vanta-gk1n?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) ****A founder-only breakfast in Paris**: Ahead of Vanta's Trust Tour Paris, we're hosting a small-room session for founders: ****Growth Breakfast Club: Build the Product, Buy the Trust**, ****September 15, 9:30–11:30 AM, Le Grand Hôtel Cayré.** ****Christina Cacioppo**, Co-Founder & CEO of Vanta, and ****Gabriel Hubert**, Co-Founder & CEO of Dust, sit down to talk about why the best-scaling teams are ruthless about what they build in-house and just as deliberate about what they buy. Expect real talk on: - Why build vs. buy is a habit, not a one-time call - How Dust scales multiplayer AI without losing team alignment - Why compliance is one of the clearest buy-not-build decisions [Request To Join ](https://luma.com/vanta-gk1n?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) --- # Headlines 🗞️ **Hugging Face's** price continues to tick up, according to Bloomberg. Nvidia is now preparing to shovel out $14 billion for the AI registry. The figure tops the previous $12.9 billion reported last week, and apparently includes more than $1 billion in retention packages for Hugging Face-ers. | [**Bloomberg**](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-02/nvidia-nears-14-billion-hugging-face-deal-this-week?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 🗞️ **Speaking of Hugging Face,** while everyone was wondering about a potential Nvidia deal, the company released an adorable robotic [**Microduck**](https://pollen-robotics.com/microduck/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com), a 25-centimeter-tall robot can waddle, grab things its beak, and roller skate. Sales have exploded with 10,000+ Microducks pre-ordered in just five days, [according to CEO Clem Delangue](https://x.com/ClementDelangue/status/2094421922159210979?s=20&ref=frenchtechjournal.com). Demand has been so intense, the company has posted on a warning on its store: "The community ordered a lot of ducks. We can’t promise Christmas delivery for new microduck orders anymore, but we’re ramping up production. First ordered, first shipped. Current estimate for new orders: 4–6 months." | [**TechCrunch**](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/hugging-face-is-selling-a-cute-399-open-source-duck-robot-microduck/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) ![](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/content/images/2026/09/microduck.webp) 🗞️ **Brussels is moving from AI rules to AI enforcement.** The EU’s AI Office has sent its first formal requests for information to several general-purpose AI model providers worldwide, asking how they test model security, use independent evaluations, and monitor risks after launch. The move marks the first real enforcement step under the AI Act, with companies facing fines of up to €15M or 3% of global annual turnover for non-compliance. | [**L’Usine Digitale**](https://www.usine-digitale.fr/intelligence-artificielle/ai-act-bruxelles-passe-a-loffensive-et-commence-a-controler-les-fournisseurs-de-modeles.BZTTV2J53BBXJASEE32Z3BAO7Q.html?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 🗞️ Speaking of Brussels**, the European Commission has given ChatGPT a new job title: search engine.** The EC has designated OpenAI’s chatbot a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, putting it under the EU’s toughest digital rules. ChatGPT has more than 45 million monthly EU users and now has four months to comply. | [**European Commission⁠**](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-under-digital-services-act?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)**,** [**Le Monde**](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2026/08/31/chatgpt-roblox-et-reddit-vont-etre-soumis-a-des-regles-renforcees-au-sein-de-l-union-europeenne%5F6762380%5F4408996.html?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 🗞️ And speaking of the ChatGPT makers, **OpenAI is putting its next model on a tighter leash.** The company says Astra has reached its “critical” cybersecurity threshold, meaning it can find previously unknown vulnerabilities and develop exploits across well-protected systems with limited human guidance. The model will get extra safeguards — and selected partners will test its most powerful cyber capabilities first. | [**OpenAI⁠**](https://openai.com/index/path-to-astra/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) 🗞️ **Europe is buying more AI muscle - from France.** The EU has awarded French state-owned Bull a €387.8M contract to build LUMI-AI, a new AI-focused supercomputer in Finland. Expected online in 2027, it will be the sixth machine ordered under Europe’s AI Factories program, as demand for public AI compute already outstrips available capacity. | [](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/europe-expands-ai-computing-network-with-390-million-order-frances-bull-2026-08-31/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)[**Reuters⁠**](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/europe-expands-ai-computing-network-with-390-million-order-frances-bull-2026-08-31/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) 🗞️ **Anthropic has won a major legal battle against the Trump administration.** A US federal judge ruled that sanctions imposed on the AI company were illegal, finding that the government had punished Anthropic for publicly criticizing the Pentagon rather than responding to a genuine national-security threat. The case centers on Anthropic’s refusal to allow Claude to be used for fully autonomous lethal weapons or mass surveillance. | [**Le Monde**](https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/08/28/intelligence-artificielle-le-bannissement-d-anthropic-par-l-administration-trump-est-illegal-decide-la-justice-americaine%5F6758773%5F3210.html?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) --- # 🗣️Responsible AI🗣️ *A look at the big stories from recent weeks, by Responsible & Frugal AI expert* [*James Martin*](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/r/8671a5bc?m=21428a87-bf8e-4071-bafa-7506da50dbda)*, of* [*BetterTech*](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/r/6fd9ce0c?m=21428a87-bf8e-4071-bafa-7506da50dbda)*.* Good news: The USA is beating China in AI… pollution! Just as it’s doubling its data center capacity (by 2029, re. [CRN](https://www.crn.com/news/data-center/2026/us-data-center-capacity-will-double-despite-local-concerns-neoclouds-offer-partner-opportunity?ref=frenchtechjournal.com)), “the US is now building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China… after a stunning 76% increase in under-construction projects in the first half of this year,” according to [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/25/us-gas-power-china-ai-datacenter?ref=frenchtechjournal.com), citing a new Global Energy Monitor report. ‘“The president \[Trump\] has said of China that “their air is dirty, and it drifts over to us”,” added the UK newspaper. Time for some payback… American companies also look set to grab the lion’s share of data centers here in Europe, according to France’s [Les Echos](https://www.lesechos.fr/tech-medias/hightech/consommation-electrique-bilan-carbone-nationalite-des-utilisateurs-ce-que-lon-sait-de-la-vague-des-data-centers-qui-deferle-en-france-2248278?ref=frenchtechjournal.com). Of the 15GW of capacity currently under construction in France, only 9% is by non-European operators. So much for our brave leaders’ previous claims that the country’s planned €109bn buildout will benefit EU companies first. At least the French government is resisting the tech sector’s calls to pay four times less for electricity than it should (!), adds Les Echos. It is instead looking to impose “eco-conditionality” on new data centre buildouts. Sorry, Donald! Pushing back even harder are Spain and Denmark. The former wants to impose “eco-conditionality” of 80% renewable energy on data centers, and for that to be matched hourly, making it much harder for companies to offset fossil fuel usage, re. [Data Center Dynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/spain-drafts-rules-requiring-data-centers-to-source-80-of-power-from-new-renewables-report/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com). Denmark, for its part, has passed an emergency law making data centers the last priority for electricity, re. [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-20/denmark-publishes-emergency-grid-law-that-puts-data-centers-last?ref=frenchtechjournal.com); households and small businesses come first. “Our electricity grid is under pressure; it threatens to bring our green transition and development to a standstill,” said Samira Nawa, Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities. Meanwhile, just as Meta was paying to get out of an epic court case accusing it of abusing younger users, it’s also been abusing its own employees, re. [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/investigations/mark-zuckerberg-had-bold-plan-replace-meta-staff-with-ai-heres-how-it-imploded-2026-08-26/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com). The report notably asserts such pressure from above to use AI internally that code changes jumped 220% year on year… “but changes that led to new or upgraded features reaching Meta users were only up 36%.” Talk about productivity! Speaking of which, just as another NBER report confirmed that 89% of executives see “no impact on labor productivity” from AI (via [Futurism](https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/90-percent-execs-ai-didnt-help-productivity-layoffs?ref=frenchtechjournal.com)), we got one example of why: in a hilarious interview, a candidate managed to get an AI-generated ‘recruiter’ to observe [“you’re looking for a position where you can really lean into those raccoon protocols"](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7498716830895652866/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad%5Fflagship3%5Fprofile%5Fview%5Fbase%3BDGxk%2BoP1RlWpkx3KEKNSWg%3D%3D&ref=frenchtechjournal.com). I.e. it repeated, parrot-like, any gobbledygook he could think of (via [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7498634121410351104/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com)). The future’s looking bright! [Become a Paid Subscriber](#/portal/signup) --- [![](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/content/images/2026/09/VTC-1.jpg)](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/what-if-gig-workers-could-have-the-freedom-of-freelancers-and-the-security-of-employees-incom-says-its-possible/) ## 🧠 What if gig workers could have the freedom of freelancers - and the security of employees? Incom says it's possible. ***What if gig workers could keep the freedom of the open road without giving up the safety net? French startup INCOM is betting drivers can have both - using tech to turn platform work into something that looks a lot more like a job, without the nine-to-five.*** For more than a decade, the promise of platform work has been simple: open an app, turn it on when you want, work as much as you want, and switch it off when you're done. For ride-hailing drivers, however, that flexibility can come with a less attractive trade-off. Income is unpredictable, administration piles up, social protection is limited, and obtaining a mortgage or even renting an apartment can become surprisingly difficult. INCOM, a French startup founded by Dany El Oubari and Victor Feuillat, thinks there is another way. Its proposition is deliberately provocative: what if drivers could keep the freedom that made platform work attractive, while getting the protections normally associated with salaried employment? That is the model behind INCOM, a cooperative that employs platform drivers under France’s “entrepreneur-salarié” model. And as France prepares to transpose the EU’s Platform Work Directive, the company is increasingly putting that model forward as an alternative way of thinking about the future of platform work. [Find out how Incom is changing the lives of ride-share drivers](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/what-if-gig-workers-could-have-the-freedom-of-freelancers-and-the-security-of-employees-incom-says-its-possible/) --- ***Want to reach an audience of more than 30,000 readers each month?** ***The French Tech Journal is the leading English-language media platform covering France's dynamic tech ecosystem. With 31,000 + engaged readers across key global markets and consistently high engagement rates, our sponsorships provide unparalleled access to decision-makers in French tech.** [Learn more about sponsorships ](https://frenchtechjournal.com/sponsors/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) --- # ☀️Sponsor Events☀️ 📆 **France Digitale Day | Paris | September 16 |** The most exciting startup event in France and Europe taking place in Paris for its 14th edition. From across France and Europe, over 4500 founders, investors, and innovation leaders gather for the whole day to get inspired, discuss the latest trends in business, tech, and society, close (big) deals with new partners, network, raise funds with investors, and meet with your peers in a village-like venue in the heart of the French capital. This year, the CES will be back at FDDay for their CES Tech Trends, the first stop on the road to CES2027\. | [**Get tickets**](https://fdday.eu/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) # 📆 Events 📆 📆 **dotAI 2026 | Paris | September 17** | We’re putting the spotlight on the best engineers on fabulous stages, so that their work is beautifully wrapped, their ideas travel better, and so that future leading engineers can aspire to that recognition. | [**Information and tickets**](https://www.dotai.io/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 📆 **OpenAI Builder Lounge Paris | September 22 |** Join OpenAI for an evening of hands-on building, live demos, and discussion in Paris, co-hosted with [Photoroom](https://www.photoroom.com/?utm%5Fsource=luma). Hear how top teams approach building useful agents, see what is new with Codex, and work alongside local founders, CTOs, and engineers. | [**Request to join**](https://luma.com/qfcsoul6?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 📆 **AI Engineer in Paris | September 23-24 |** AI Engineer Paris 2026 returns to Station F on September 23–24 for two days of technical talks, practical workshops, and AI engineering research. **|** [**Get Tickets**](https://ai.engineer/paris/2026?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 📆 **AI Shift #2 @50 Partners | Paris | October 1 |** The 50 Partners Tech team is delighted to invite you to the "AI Shift" event at the Loft 50P: a concrete immersion in AI applications.​ The concept: a sequence dedicated to analyzing AI-induced upheavals in the technology innovation ecosystem, followed by time to discover new solutions and products through live demos. | [**Apply**](https://luma.com/gqn2koeg?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 📆 **ai-PULSE | Paris | October 13** | Join leaders and engineers for a one-day technical conference dedicated to AI breakthroughs, research, and product demonstrations**. |** [**Register**](https://www.ai-pulse.eu/?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) 📆 **AI Meets Multi-Omics: Enabling Precision Medicine | Paris | October 15 | Institut Curie| Speaker:** Nataša Pržulj, Department of Life Science, Barcelona Supercomputing Center & ICREA (Barcelona, Spain) & Department of Computer Science, University College London (London, UK) | [**Information**](https://curie.fr/evenements-scientifiques/ai-meets-multi-omics-enabling-precision-medicine?ref=frenchtechjournal.com) --- 👋🏻 If you’re enjoying [The French Tech Journal](https://www.frenchtechjournal.com/), support the project by forwarding it to friends and sharing it on your social networks. You can also comment on this post. And if you have ideas for stories, tips, or just want to harass us, shoot us an email: [chris@frenchtechjournal.com](mailto:chris@frenchtechjournal.com) / [helen@frenchtechjournal.com](mailto:helen@frenchtechjournal.com) 👋🏻‌