Digital sovereignty has become a major concern for both businesses and public sector organizations. For many years, the conversation focused primarily on data protection and cybersecurity. Those priorities remain essential. But as artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes how organizations operate, the question of sovereignty takes on a much broader dimension.
AI is transforming the way organizations use data, automate processes, and create value. At the same time, it raises important new questions: Where does data travel? Which AI models are using it? How can organizations ensure traceability and accountability? How can they manage the costs and risks associated with these new technologies?
In my conversations with customers, two concerns consistently emerge.
The first is security and traceability. Organizations want to know exactly who is sending data, who is receiving it, and how users are authenticated. They need complete visibility into their information flows. Digital trust depends on the ability to control, monitor, and audit data exchanges.
The second concern is directly related to the rapid growth of AI. Companies are now managing increasingly complex ecosystems made up of large language models, MCP servers, AI agents, and a growing number of interconnected services. They want to understand which models are being used, for what purposes, and at what cost. Just as importantly, they need confidence that these new AI-driven processes meet their compliance, governance, and sovereignty requirements.
This evolution is taking place within a regulatory landscape that is also changing quickly. Frameworks such as the EU AI Act are introducing stronger requirements around governance, control, and auditability. Organizations must be able to demonstrate clear oversight of their data, their models, and their AI usage.
For me, sovereignty is first and foremost about control and freedom of choice.
It means control over data, control over usage, and control over the costs associated with AI. It also means having the freedom to choose the deployment model that best aligns with operational, regulatory, and business requirements. Sovereignty should not limit innovation; it should make it possible for organizations to innovate with confidence.
At Axway, we have spent more than two decades helping customers securely connect, move, and govern the business-critical data flows their operations depend on — across APIs, files, EDI, events, cloud, on-premises, and partner ecosystems. This work rests on three enduring fundamentals: security, reliability, and scalability. In the age of AI, these principles remain as relevant as ever for protecting critical data exchanges, supporting large-scale operations, and addressing the new challenges introduced by artificial intelligence.
As a global independent software company founded in France, we believe customers should remain in control of their technology choices. They should be able to deploy solutions in the cloud of their choice, in hybrid environments, or on-premises, depending on their operational, regulatory, and business requirements. Ultimately, digital sovereignty is no longer simply a technology issue. It has become a strategic business concern that sits at the intersection of governance, compliance, risk management, trust, and an organization’s ability to maintain control of its digital transformation in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Watch the full interview
In this interview, recorded at the Digital Sovereignty Forum, I share my perspective on several key topics:
- The evolution of digital sovereignty in the age of artificial intelligence
- New challenges in governance, compliance, and auditability
- The importance of security and traceability in data exchange
- Managing the costs and usage of AI models
- The role of deployment choice in a sovereignty strategy
- How Axway helps organizations balance innovation, control, and freedom of choice
I invite you to watch the full interview to explore these topics in greater depth and hear practical examples from the field.
AI innovation is global. Compliance is local. Are you in control?