US tech giant Google was set Thursday to open an AI research hub in Paris, the French government said, part of a trend for big tech firms to base teams in European centres.

In recent years, Google has poured investment into its engineering facility in Zurich, which also houses AI-focused teams from Meta, Apple and Microsoft.

Amazon, another major player in AI research, has teams based in several locations in Germany and Britain.

AI covers a broad range of technologies based on algorithms and big data processing, which help to power everything from online advertising to smartphone cameras.

Google's new institute will host at least 300 researchers in the French capital, according to a statement released Wednesday by France's finance ministry.

"The investment by Google in France demonstrates once again how attractive France and Europe are for tech firms, particularly in the artificial intelligence area," the statement said.

The French capital has long pushed to be regarded as a cutting-edge hub for tech firms, and Meta established an AI research team there in 2015.

 - AFP Relaxnews