This marks Mistral’s first collaboration of its kind, signaling its ambitions beyond being just a foundation model developer.
Under the multi-year agreement, Le Chat will gain access to AFP’s extensive text-based archive, spanning over four decades and available in six languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. With AFP producing approximately 2,300 stories daily, the partnership positions Le Chat to deliver reliable, up-to-date information to users.
Notably, photos and videos are excluded from the deal, as Mistral focuses exclusively on language models, with image generation handled by Black Forest Labs’ Flux Pro.
Mistral has been keen to build competitive AI products, starting with Le Chat. Dedicated apps are reportedly in development, aiming to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude in both functionality and user experience.
“We believe improving the accuracy of [Le Chat’s] responses is a key step in the deployment of our technology, particularly for businesses,” said Arthur Mensch, Mistral’s co-founder and CEO.
“Through this partnership, we are providing our clients with a unique multicultural and multilingual alternative.”
The collaboration also marks a first for AFP, offering a new revenue stream for the news agency.
“Through this partnership, AFP is further diversifying its revenue sources,” noted Fabrice Fries, AFP’s chairman and CEO.
The announcement comes as AFP adjusts to Meta’s recent decision to end its third-party fact-checking program, in which AFP played a significant role.
While AI companies like OpenAI have secured high-profile content deals with organizations such as The Associated Press and Financial Times, Mistral’s partnership with AFP demonstrates its commitment to delivering credible, multilingual responses. Additionally, these agreements help position AI firms as allies to media organizations while mitigating copyright concerns.