AI isn't a theme at VivaTech this year, it's the weather. You can discuss it or try to ignore it, but you can't escape it. It’s being adopted across the economy, but now that the initial spectacle is wearing out, the reckoning begins. Who is creating real value in factories, hospitals, content studios, supply chains, and city streets? Which AI delivers measurable progress, and which is algorithmic theater? As intelligence embeds itself in every product and service, who captures the value, and who gets left holding the illusion? The clock is ticking. AI as a promise is over. We're now looking for proof.