WPB: The major shipping company CMA CGM and French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI have launched a strategic alliance worth 100 million euros, expecting swift improvements in efficiency. the partnership also reflects the firms’ loyalty to France during a time of heightened global trade tensions.
Spanning five years, the deal will raise CMA CGM’s total investment in AI-related initiatives to 500 million euros ($550 million). The primary focus areas include optimizing customer service operations within shipping and logistics sectors, as well as improving fact-checking processes across CMA CGM’s French media holdings, such as BFM TV.
In a joint discussion with Mistral’s co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch, CMA CGM’s Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé refrained from specifying financial expectations or returns on the investment. However, he noted that the rollout of new measures should be completed within six to twelve months. The goal is to significantly reduce response times for customer representatives who currently handle around one million email inquiries weekly, many involving ship routing queries.
The artificial intelligence industry, after receiving vast financial backing, now faces growing demand to produce measurable outcomes. Investor concerns have recently heightened following the rise of DeepSeek, an affordable AI model developed in China.
Mistral received major international attention during a global AI event in Paris this past February, where it was celebrated by President Emmanuel Macron as a European contender against dominant U.S. firms like OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
So far this year, Mistral has secured collaborations with several top French corporations, including the automotive group Stellantis. CMA CGM, which is also among Mistral’s investors, is predicting a tenfold growth in revenue between December 2024 and December 2025, according to Mensch.
Nonetheless, AI-related policy remains a point of contention between European authorities and the U.S. government. Tensions intensified after Donald Trump introduced sweeping new tariffs.
“In these uncertain times, I see it as a positive move for two French companies to announce such a collaboration,” Saadé commented. Still, he emphasized his belief in investing across global, open markets.
CMA CGM, currently ranked as the third-largest container shipping company worldwide, received praise from Trump just last month for its pledge to invest $20 billion in the United States.
Additionally, the company has entered into partnerships with American tech firms, including Google’s parent company Alphabet. Back in July, CMA CGM and Google began a $150 million, five-year AI collaboration.
By WPB
Shipping, Bitumen, Innovation, Technology
If the Canadian federal government enforces stringent regulations on emissions starting in 2030, the Canadian petroleum and gas industry could lose $ ...
Following the expiration of the general U.S. license for operations in Venezuela's petroleum industry, up to 50 license applications have been submit ...
Saudi Arabia is planning a multi-billion dollar sale of shares in the state-owned giant Aramco.
