Digital Technology is a Collective Matter: Key Insights from Our Public Consultation

In January 2026, as part of developing our roadmap, we sought the views of the public in order to identify expectations and priorities regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology. The Council has adopted these priorities and is using them to steer our forthcoming projects, initiatives and formats.

Because technological choices are choices of society, and because the Council's core mission is to respond to public concerns and expectations, we ran an online public consultation from 10 December 2025 to 12 January 2026 in order to inform its work programme.

In total, 6,122 respondents contributed to the consultation.

Although the results reveal clear trends, a degree of 'community bias' should be noted: managers and senior professionals were overrepresented (45%), while manual workers (0.4%) and agricultural workers (0.25%) were underrepresented. Moreover, with 31.5% of the French population still affected by digital exclusion, future conversations cannot take place online alone. The Council will therefore ensure that its outreach methods are broadened in subsequent exercises.
 

Discussions about technology must be genuinely collective

The primary takeaway from the consultation concerns method: the future of digital technology must be decided collaboratively, through robust public debate.

Respondents expressed a strong demand for wider conversations about digital technology. Many urged us to build on this work through citizens' assemblies and collaborative platforms.
 

Reclaiming digital sovereignty

For 61% of respondents, technological dependency represents a critical threat. One in four expressed serious concern about the dominance of the major US and Chinese technology firms, viewing it as a direct challenge to decision-making autonomy, data security and European competitiveness.

To address these challenges, respondents call for the development of independent infrastructure and for the strict regulation of foreign actors. Respect for privacy and the protection of personal data also attracted widespread support.
 

Democratic engagement and information integrity attract broad support

An overwhelming 75% of respondents regard digital technology as a potential threat to democratic processes. Disinformation, the polarisation of public debate and the weakening of critical thinking were their foremost concerns.

Accordingly, the quality and reliability of information (64%) emerged as the highest-priority area.
 

Environmental concerns will prove particularly defining

Sustainability featured throughout the consultation, with 70% viewing environmental issues as inseparable from economic and social challenges. More than half expressed concern about the ecological footprint of technology, and 58% favoured strict oversight of personal AI use.

For a large majority, France and Europe must champion a digital model rooted in resource efficiency and sustainability.