THE Kyriakos Mitsotakis In a discussion with journalist Connie Loizos at an event in the TechCrunch online newspaper, initially referring to start -ups and human resources, he said, among other things, that there was a perception that we did not have a promising future ahead of us. “And I think we were able to change this expectation and that is not selfish,” he said, stressing that Our biggest advantage is the human resources.
The prime minister pointed out that the government has motivated from the beginning beyond stability and a state with a promising future. He referred, inter alia, to equity options, the investors -friendly environment and the initiatives to return people who had migrated abroad. “Now we are seeing returning and investing specifically in the field of artificial intelligence,” he said.
“We have amazing talent. The point is: How we build the bridge and bring these people back .. Maybe we talk a little more about our strategy for the Artificial intelligence“, He added.
“The idea is always to go beyond our potential. To use technology not only to cover the lost ground, but to overcome many European countries, “he noted, while also referring to the debate he had with the new German Chancellor, who told him that he would establish a Ministry of Digital Politics as happened in Greece.
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“Technology – and especially AI – is also an opportunity to improve public services. It’s not just what a startup is, but what we can do, how we can be customers of these services, how can the state adopt startup logic. What does it mean to have a “startup state”? They are not necessarily obvious. But sometimes we can work much more gradually than the private sector. And beyond tax exemptions, people don’t just come back for it. They return when there are good employment opportunities when they see that they can do something important with their business, “the prime minister said.
Elsewhere in the discussion he talked about the capital markets. “Why in Europe are we still exporting our savings to the US? What does it mean to enter a company on the European Stock Exchange? I am very happy to see the Greek stock market recover again, “he said.
Mr Mitsotakis stressed that we have made great progress in the digital state because the decision of the government in 2019 was a national digital transformation strategy. “All applications have gathered under an umbrella, and we will get all the data to provide digital services outside the ministries. If you provide good online service as a ministry of digital governance, it is good for the minister – because it facilitates the lives of citizens, “he continued. He was given as an example the vaccination program during the pandemic period. “It was completely digital. There was no paper at all. My friends from the US could not believe it, “he said with emphasis and condensed:” And then we took European initiatives with the certificates so that citizens can travel. It was really innovative. “
The future is artificial intelligence, Kyriakos Mitsotakis added, saying that for the government it means, for example, that it has managed and ran a pilot program in the Land Registry, where employees took two hours to check a contract, now the AI is preparing it and the check is done in 10 minutes.
He also said that artificial intelligence can be decisive in areas such as civil protection, but also on social issues, while making a separate reference to health. “There we have a great advantage: we already have a digital health system and we have quality data. We conduct many general controls on the population for preventive diseases, which gives us a lot of data. This is important both in terms of citizens’ health, but also because it provides opportunities for companies to develop applications for testing on the local market and possibly export them, ”he said.
He also talked about the defense by noting that the landscape is changing and for the first time we created an innovation center at the Ministry of Defense, which can test products.
“So we can make small contracts, try technologies, and of course give Greek startups the opportunity to project their work, and then develop new products. If I were an investor, I would focus on this area, because there is funding and willingness to think “outside the box”. We’re not just talking about traditional defense contracts for ships and airplanes – there is something more, “he said.
The prime minister also said that we need wider reforms to accelerate justice, while in investment noted that the general picture is important. “The most important thing – though ‘intangible’ – is trust. When an investor examines Greece, he doesn’t just see one company. Sees the overall context: Is this a stable country? Is it going forward? The answer is ‘yes’. And I think investors recognize it. Who would have imagined that Greece would have primary surpluses and discipline in public finances? The US can operate with huge deficits. We cannot. So, the fact that we have fiscal discipline and structural reforms makes us reliable. And most importantly: we have political stability. You know what to expect. If you come to Greece to invest, you don’t just look at one company. You look at the wider environment. And today, Greece is a stable country that is going on, “he said.
“We want to ensure that progress is irreversible. That we continue. We can’t waste any more time. The bet is to move on vigorously, to move forward. And, of course, we have to be careful with misinformation, with bots reinforced by artificial intelligence, “he also said.
“Finally, an issue that concerns me personally: the mental health of children and adolescents. What is the impact of life on a virtual world, excessive exposure to screens, health, education and their future? Europe must stand up to the circumstances. To make use of AI’s enormous potential, but not ignore its dark sides, “he said.