Publications — rapport

Humanoid robots attract most of the attention, but many of the demonstrations are preprogrammed, remote-controlled or generated by AI. Physical AI, meaning machines that perceive, decide and act in the physical world, is already a market of about $18 billion, of which humanoids account for only $2–3 billion. The report explains why value will first come from specialized systems, describes the state of the technology and the positions of China, the United States, Europe and Japan, and lays out future scenarios and what executives should do today.

AI seems almost weightless to its users, but every model rests on an industrial backbone of minerals, manufacturing, electricity and water. The report examines three vulnerabilities that businesses have to take into account: environmental impacts, energy supply and the grid, and the choke points of compute infrastructure. It sets out the critical uncertainties for the future and strategic recommendations. The study is based on three months of work and more than 50 expert interviews.

AI has been used in research, development and innovation for a decade, and the arrival of generative AI and large language models has sped it up over the last two years. Yet its integration into R&D&I processes is still immature, especially where results must be error-free. The report looks at what AI can do at each step of the process, how to make its implementation succeed, the landscape of tools and providers, and future scenarios, and closes with six strategic actions. The study was carried out with LVMH, Avril, GRTgaz, CNRS and INRAE, from 40+ interviews and a survey of more than 200 companies and institutions.

ChatGPT is only the tip of a much larger generative AI iceberg. This report explains how AI became more human, what generative models can now do, and how they change the value of different kinds of human intelligence inside companies and beyond. It covers the impact on business, the value chain and competition, the limits and risks, and the critical uncertainties, up to the question of artificial general intelligence. Two interludes give the floor to an artist and a philosopher. The study combines in-depth research, an expert survey and interviews with players from across the AI ecosystem.

Pour que le monde du travail ne devienne pas une dystopie, il faut former des entreprenants : des personnes capables de comprendre leur environnement, d’y saisir des opportunités et d’agir quand tout bouge. C’est ce que nous appelons l’esprit entrepreneur. À la demande de la ministre, nous avons évalué le plan PEPITE pour l’entrepreneuriat étudiant : le concept est validé, mais le dispositif doit changer d’échelle. Rapport établi avec Cristelle Gillard et Philippe Perrey.

Source : ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche

In this thesis, I simulate inductive low-pressure plasmas with a one-dimensional particle-in-cell code including Monte Carlo collisions. The simulations confirm that electric double layers can form in current-free plasmas, producing a supersonic ion beam also measured experimentally. I then propose a hybrid model, much cheaper to compute, and use it to show that propagating double layers may form spontaneously in electronegative plasmas. Joint PhD from the Australian National University and Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse.