Mistral CEO says new AI model beats Chinese ones in some areas

French AI company Mistral’s newest model outperforms Chinese models on cybersecurity, CEO Arthur Mensch told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, adding the product would be unveiled later in the day.

“The model we’re actually announcing today is actually above the Chinese models on certain aspects, including cyber. So the narrative that Europe cannot compete is something that is not true,” Mensch said onstage, without specifying which Chinese models or by what measure Mistral’s model beat them.

The 3-year-old company is seen as Europe’s best contender in the AI race, but is still dwarfed by US companies Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as facing pressure from lower-cost Chinese rivals.