NATO selects Rennes, France for artificial intelligence centre of excellence (defence24.com)

• NATO to establish AI Centre of Excellence in Rennes, France; formal approval expected June 2026.
• Centre will have ~50 staff, leveraging Rennes' existing cyber-defence ecosystem.
• France strengthens its role in military AI and advocates for European defence technology autonomy.

"NATO is expected to establish its Centre of Excellence for artificial intelligence in Rennes, France, with formal approval by allies expected in early June. The centre will employ around 50 staff and be located in a city that already hosts a major cyber-defence ecosystem. France is positioning itself early in military AI, aiming to become a European and NATO reference point and arguing for a European defence technology base less dependent on US systems."