Over the past year, Paris-based Mistral AI—one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2024—has rapidly risen as a homegrown European AI champion, earning the praise of French President Emmanuel Macron. The startup has released six AI language models that can answer questions, produce code, and carry out basic reasoning.

In June, the company announced it had raised $645 million in a funding round that reportedly values the company at more than $6 billion. This followed a deal with Microsoft to make its models available to the tech giant’s customers in exchange for access to Microsoft’s computational resources.

Mistral’s co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch has been vocal in debates over the E.U.’s landmark AI law, arguing that lawmakers should focus on regulating how AI models are used rather than the models themselves. He believes open sourcing models presents no risk, only benefits.

How did Mistral attract top AI talent?

Initially, we hired our friends who were aware of our contributions to the field. As we expanded, we began hiring less familiar candidates, driven by our mission to promote open communication in AI development.

What are Mistral’s spending priorities?

We primarily invest in computational resources, essential for developing cutting-edge AI models. Our current funding is aimed at enhancing our computational capabilities.

Are you currently profitable?

No, as a young startup, profitability is not expected. Our investments are significant, but we are focused on growth and development.

What is your business model?

Our model focuses on building advanced AI models and providing a platform for developers to customize and deploy these technologies, ensuring efficiency and control over their applications.

How does Mistral ensure independence from major cloud providers?

We utilize multiple cloud providers, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform, ensuring our independence and flexibility in operations.

What is your vision for AI’s impact on society?

We aim to enhance productivity and reasoning capabilities across various sectors, ensuring that our technology is accessible and beneficial to all, promoting societal improvements.

Will Mistral ever restrict access to its models?

Not in the foreseeable future. We believe in the benefits of open sourcing our models, as it fosters collective governance and innovation.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.