Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis presided over the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence today, Wednesday afternoon, at Megaro Maximos.

During the meeting, a preliminary discussion was held on the objectives of the Commission and the axes on which its work will move, with an emphasis on practical applications for the benefit of citizens, among others for the better provision of health services and the faster administration of justice, in technologies that can improve the functioning of the state and the management of crises, such as natural disasters, but also in the adaptations required in education, so that children acquire from a young age training in the new subject.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Artificial Intelligence will be used as a public policy tool in many areas

“The purpose of the Commission is to help us very practically in how AI can be leveraged as a public policy tool in various policy areas, which we can then identify. Let me mention health or the way in which we fight tax evasion. Artificial intelligence and Armed Forces, a very big challenge for the transformation of our country’s deterrent capability. Artificial intelligence and Civil Protection. Today as we speak, we have done a very interesting first pilot experiment in Penteli on how artificial intelligence tools can help us quickly locate fire outbreaks”, noted the Prime Minister during his introductory statement.

There was also a first exchange of views on the contribution that Greece can have to the wider consultation on the formation of the regulatory framework that will govern the development and use of artificial intelligence, on the incentives that can be given for innovative research and the attraction of investments , and to the comparative advantages that our country has.

It was emphasized that AI poses challenges in various fields, including the functioning of democracy, while also bringing about changes in many fields, such as the labor market, defense and value chains.

Greece’s advantage is its scientific potential

In this context, it was pointed out that one of Greece’s advantages is the particularly high-level scientific potential it has, both inside and outside the country, and it can be counted among the winners of the changes and opportunities that AI will bring.

“I think we have a number of comparative advantages, for example a very large over-representation in the scientific potential dealing with artificial intelligence. We already have a nascent ecosystem of companies in our country that seems to have significant momentum and we have, I would say, a comparative advantage that comes from our history, our culture, our language and the leading role we can play in issues such as the ethical dimension of artificial intelligence, for reasons that I think are absolutely obvious,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“As you rightly said, Mr. Prime Minister, it is important here to think first of all about our comparative advantages, which indeed is the amazing scientific community both inside and outside of Greece. This community must be harnessed to make this leap that needs to be made. Obviously, the history of Greece has both a symbolic and an essential meaning. And the other thing we have to think about, in these particular advantages of our country, is in which areas we have special knowledge or special opportunities present themselves and this knowledge can somehow be a catalyst for this adaptation”, noted from his side the head of the Commission, Konstantinos Daskalakis.

The entire opening statement of the Prime Minister

As you remember I committed to the establishment of this Commission from the Government’s Program Statements at the beginning of July this year. And I think the reasoning is very clear: artificial intelligence is already here, it is a challenge that we will either face and make sure to use it for the benefit of our country or we will simply be overtaken by developments.

I think the purpose of the Commission is to help us very practically in how artificial intelligence can be harnessed as a public policy tool in various policy areas, which we can then identify. Let me mention health or the way in which we fight tax evasion. Artificial intelligence and Armed Forces, a very big challenge for the transformation of our country’s deterrent capability. Artificial intelligence and Civil Protection, today as we speak we have done a very interesting first pilot experiment in Penteli on how artificial intelligence tools can help us quickly locate fire outbreaks.

Obviously there are many examples, but for me it would be of value, and in consultation with the Government Secretariat, to focus on some policy areas that are of particular interest to us, to see how we can make use of these new tools, using and some significant resources we already have from the Recovery Fund.

We have 12 projects that are already in the Recovery Fund that have some dimension to do with artificial intelligence and are very practical projects that help drive public policy.

The second field, which I think is of great interest, is the regulatory field and the way in which our country will position itself within the European Union in this debate which has already started on the issues of the AI ​​Act for which until today we do not have a clear position and it would be good to co-shape it as soon as possible.

The third has to do with areas where our country can potentially have a significant comparative advantage. That is, where in this large ecosystem of activities can we stand out and become protagonists.

And there I believe we have a number of comparative advantages, for example a very large overrepresentation in the scientific potential dealing with artificial intelligence.

We already have a nascent ecosystem of companies in our country that seems to have significant momentum and we have, I would say, a comparative advantage that comes from our history, our culture, our language and the leading role we can play in issues such as the ethical dimension of artificial intelligence, for reasons that I think are quite obvious.

So, it would be of value to me to move into these two policy verticals where AI can help us, areas where our country can really stand out.

And I think we have the opportunity here to leverage the important work that is being done at the OECD level. Tzortzis (Pagoulatos) will then tell us a few things about what is happening in the Organization regarding these issues. And of course we will also have the technical assistance of Accenture.

Finally, let me point out that, as you know, we have created a Foresight Secretariat under Yannis Mastrogeorgiou, who will, from the Prime Minister’s Office, also have the central coordination of the operation of this Committee. I think it is a very useful structure, which can easily coordinate your own work.

Beyond that, I believe that many other interesting issues will arise through the work of the Commission itself, which is why we have not set any specific timetable, nor have we initially identified specific deliverables, beyond these initial thoughts the which I shared with you. I think more will come up as we discuss.

Mitsotakis

For me this is a topic that is absolutely fascinating and I would really like to be able to play a leading role at the level of the European Union as well. But in order for us to do this, I will need your help.

The head of the Advisory Committee, Professor Konstantinos Daskalakis, said: “Good evening everyone. First of all, let me say that I am honored to be on the Commission and I am honored that you have entrusted me, Mr. Prime Minister, to lead the Commission. Honored to be on the Committee with all of you.

I have some brief remarks. I don’t have much to say, I think the work of the Commission is ahead of us. Obviously artificial intelligence has made rapid progress in the last 10 to 15 years. It has given technologies that are already integrated into our daily lives and what is clear is that the tools created will start to play an ever greater role in all aspects of our lives.

I think for all states but also for Greece it is of existential importance to think responsibly about what role we want to play as a country in these developments, in this becoming.

Let’s think seriously about what bets we want to place, where to invest as a nation in this area. And also to think about what are the opportunities and concerns that will arise from these applications.

As you very rightly said, Mr. Prime Minister, it is important here to think first of all about our comparative advantages, which indeed is the amazing scientific community both inside and outside of Greece. This community must be harnessed to make this leap that needs to be made.

Obviously, the history of Greece has both a symbolic and an essential meaning. And the other thing we have to think about, in these special advantages of our country, is in which areas we have special knowledge or special opportunities present themselves and this knowledge can somehow be a catalyst for this adaptation”.

The meeting was attended by the Ministers of State Stavros Papastavrou and Akis Skertsos, the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Yiannis Bratakos, the Special Secretary for Long-Term Planning Yiannis Mastrogeorgiou, the Project Coordinator of the Special Secretariat for Long-Term Planning Marios Dafnomilis, the President and CEO of Accenture Greece Kyriakos Sambatakakis and the members of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee Konstantinos Daskalakis, Kimon Drakopoulos, Evangelos Karkaletsis, Vassiliki Kinti, Georgios Pagoulatos, Fereniki Panagopoulou, Ioannis Pitas, Timoleon Sellis, Andreas Stavropoulos, Ioannis Tasioulas and Charalambos Tsekeris.