Le Chat is an AI chatbot developed by France’s Mistral AI. Europe’s answer to ChatGPT, it’s faster and more affordable than other AI models. Here’s what you need to know.
Le Chat is France’s answer to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. Built to be fast and compliant with European laws, it’s a different way to find answers with the help of AI.
Capable of fielding in-depth queries about everything from coding to recipes, it can generate answers at up to 1,000 words per second. That makes it one of the fastest chatbots around.
It’s also one of the most trustworthy, thanks to a partnership with Agence France-Presse. Read on to find out exactly what it can do.
This article was correct as of March 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.What is Le Chat?
French startup Mistral AI launched Le Chat in February 2024. An alternative to ChatGPT, Mistral’s AI chatbot is designed with efficiency and privacy in mind. Pitched as an “AI assistant for life and work”, it boasts several features that enhance productivity, as well as fast response times. It’s also compliant with European data privacy regulations and sources real-time information from trusted sources.
Mistral itself was established in April 2023 by a trio of French AI researchers. With work for Google DeepMind and Meta on their CVs, they leveraged their expertise to turn Mistral AI into a major player in the AI arena. The firm developed several of its own powerful large language models.
With a paid tier that’s more affordable than both ChatGPT and Gemini, plus robust privacy credentials and rapid generative performance, Le Chat has made waves by proving there are different ways to build an AI chatbot.What can you use Le Chat for?
Like most AI chatbots, Le Chat can give context-aware answers to questions written in natural language. It can help with everything from travel plans to simple summaries of complex topics. If you opt-in to its Memories feature, it will learn your preferences to provide more personalized recommendations.
There are a few ways in which Le Chat is unique. Its Flash Answers feature, which is currently available for all users to preview, generates responses at 1,000 words per second, putting it at the top of the speed charts.
Large language models are trained on huge datasets and Mistral’s are no exception. It can also pull in real-time data on news, sports and more. The feather in its cap its a tie-up with Agence France-Presse. Reflecting Mistral’s commitment to transparency, this allows Le Chat to provide cited responses based on reliable sources that abide by journalistic principles.
