French oil major TotalEnergies has partnered with artificial intelligence (AI) startup Mistral to build digital tools it hopes will boost the performance of its energy business and industrial assets, boost energy efficiency and reduce its environmental impact.

The collaboration has already begun, with teams meeting at both companies' existing sites. No physical laboratory is planned.

Mistral will work with Total to develop an AI-powered assistant to help the energy company develop new projects, suggest decisions on running industrial sites to reduce emissions, and improve customer support solutions to help clients save energy, according to reports.

"AI has huge potential to transform energy systems. This deal reflects our intention to contribute to the emergence of a technological ecosystem in Europe," TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne says.

Earlier this week, Mistral introduced the first AI reasoning model in Europe, which employs logical reasoning to generate responses, as the French startup aims to keep up with its U.S. and Chinese competitors leading the way in AI innovation.

Since 2022, Total has been officially partnering with external AI startups through a program designed to identify solutions that enhance the profitability of its electricity sector. These collaborations have included projects like algorithm-driven predictive maintenance for wind turbines, the optimization of electricity trading using sophisticated weather forecasting models, and more accurate digital planning for future renewable energy installations.

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Additionally, the energy company has trialed Microsoft’s Copilot, a conversational AI assistant, by providing employees with six months of access to evaluate the most beneficial use cases, as stated by Pouyanne at the AI Action Summit held in Paris in February.