Dassault Aviation partners with Thales for AI development

New Delhi

French aviation manufacturer Dassault Aviation has entered a strategic partnership with defence electronics firm Thales through its subsidiary cortAIx for developing sovereign AI solutions for defence aeronautics.

Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of combat and transport aircraft, and Thales, a defence electronics firm, have signed a strategic partnership for the development of controlled and supervised AI for defence aeronautics.

In a press statement, Thales said that the partnership was signed on November 18 by Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO, Dassault Aviation, and Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales.

The statement said that Dassault Aviation and cortAIx, part of Thales, have entered into a partnership to develop AI solutions to cover the functions for manned and unmanned aircraft for purpose like observation, situation analysis among others.

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“This partnership is reflected in research and innovation programmes dedicated to the collaborative air combat of the future, with a view to incorporating AI into aeronautical defence systems. It is the culmination of strategic discussions launched by Dassault Aviation and Thales’ AI accelerator, cortAIx, and illustrates our shared commitment to trusted, sovereign and controlled artificial intelligence for the armed forces,” Pascale Lohat, Chief Technical Officer, Dassault Aviation says.

The statement also said that the work is being carried out with national and European ethical principles and regulations.

“CortAIx will bring to this strategic partnership with Dassault Aviation the best of Thales’ technological heritage, enriched by decades of military experience, combined with the agility and dynamics of a powerful innovation accelerator. Present in France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore and soon in the United Arab Emirates, cortAIx relies on recognised technological partners to transform AI advances into concrete levers of sovereignty and efficiency,” Mickael Brossard, Vice-President, cortAIx Factory, Thales says.