Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral, has engaged in discussions regarding the Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek. This company garnered attention a few weeks ago following the release of its DeepSeek-R1 model. Since then, it has received approval from most participants in the AI industry.
Like many models, the DeepSeek model is perceived by Mistral’s CEO as highly similar to that of both companies. Since its launch in 2023, this Paris-based AI company has been an advocate for open source.
In his interview, the Mistral CEO mentioned among business insiders that he views DeepSeek as the Chinese version of Mistral. He added that he considers the company’s achievements to be a remarkable moment for open source models. He stated, “We believe this is a tremendous moment for open source models, with companies like Mistral and DeepSeek engaging and building upon each other.”
Mistral’s CEO emphasized the benefits of open source models. Mistral’s large language models (LLMs), like DeepSeek, are offered with open weights, meaning they share the same model parameters rather than a complete codebase. Mensch, one of the executives in the AI industry, believes in the advantages of running open-source systems. According to the Mistral CEO, some of these benefits include faster development cycles and the elimination of bottlenecks such as licensing fees.
Mensch mentioned that he has always believed open source is a better concept as it enables efficiency. He stated, “Due to the flywheel effect, with everyone building upon each other, we have always been strong believers because it simply makes things more effective.”
Following the launch of the DeepSeek R1 model, investors were astonished as the company claimed that the model could match the performance of models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but created at a fraction of the cost. Investors questioned the necessity of massive investments in AI if companies could accomplish tasks at such a reduced cost.
Additionally, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned in this month’s AMA that he has “historically been on the wrong side” when discussing his stance on open-source AI. Altman added that the company would need to reconsider a different strategy rather than its closed-source approach, which ensures that its code remains unavailable to the public.
Mensch discussed efficiency in relation to IPO plans. He noted that Mistral has been viewed as the largest competitor to OpenAI in Europe, consistently opting for efficiency. He added that this encompasses all-around efficiency, including financial aspects. Mistral remains the most capitalized AI company in Europe, having secured approximately $1 billion from firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, and Lightspeed.
He further stated that the company does not require significant funds before adopting technology and adapting it to use cases. He pointed out that Mistral has the necessary capital but has been cautious about excessive spending. He said, “We are a well-funded company, but we are not spending billions.”
Meanwhile, the Mistral CEO mentioned that the company is seeking to expand its capabilities in Agesic AI, software designed to automate tasks. Mensch added that the company plans to achieve this by utilizing LE Chat, a modified version of an application launched last week.
Mensch stated, “LE Chat is where you can build agents, and you should see it as a place where every employee and consumer can create automated and spawning agents.” He added that one of the best aspects of AI agents is that even non-developers can utilize them.
The AI company is also pushing for plans to reduce reliance on large tech firms, announcing that it will gather billions in data centers ahead of this week’s Paris Action Summit. Mensch told TFI, “We are making choices throughout the entire value chain from machines to software.”
Mistral is also advancing its plans to expand beyond France, with a significant focus on the United States. The company is also present in Singapore as it continues to enjoy support from users in Southeast Asia. Mensch mentioned that the company plans to go public but noted that there are no immediate actions in place to achieve this goal.
Mensch added, “I would say we are an independent company, and as a successful independent entity, the natural path is obviously a long-term IPO—but that does not mean we are currently preparing for an IPO.”
