The Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation took part in The Economist’s 30th Annual Government Roundtable in Athens.
He also invited the robot Ameca to join the advisory council of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
“Do not fear technology; instead, use it in the service of people – under human oversight, transparently and in the public interest. At Bulgaria’s Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation, I recently established the first informal advisory council composed entirely of robots. The digital advisers will help us see things that we might otherwise miss. They do not make decisions independently or replace experts, but they read everything, know an extraordinary amount, never sleep and are very candid.” Ivan Vasilev, Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation, made these remarks while taking part in The Economist’s 30th Annual Government Roundtable in Athens. He also invited the robot Ameca, a robot participating in the forum, to join the advisory council of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
Speaking to representatives from various countries at the international forum, Minister Vasilev emphasised that construction of BRAIN++ – one of the European Union’s six newest AI Factories – will begin in Sofia this year. He also highlighted the strengths and capabilities of the Bulgarian research institute INSAIT, as well as the BgGPT model developed by the institute, which is available free of charge to every school, municipality and business.
During a session on the opportunities and risks in the age of artificial intelligence, the Minister stated that yesterday’s AI answered questions, whereas today’s AI gets things done.
“Decisions belong to people. Machines are there to serve. No algorithm will ever stand between a citizen and their right to an explanation of the reasoning behind every decision. There must be a human being who bears responsibility,” he added.
“I am convinced that the state must lead by example. At the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation, we use artificial intelligence every day,” the minister said. He also described SIGMA, the Ministry’s latest platform, which displays public procurement data and enables every citizen to see where public funds have gone.
Regarding “digital employees”, Minister Vasilev said that analysts expect four in ten business applications to have such agents built in by the end of this year. He added that, if we want businesses to trust their digital colleagues, the state must be the first employer to hire them.
“The real divide in the field of artificial intelligence in Europe is not between countries, but between large and small companies,” Minister Vasilev said. He noted that currently only one in twelve Bulgarian companies has adopted AI technology, compared with an average of one in five across Europe.
The international forum is organised jointly by The Economist and the Greek Government. Held this year under the theme “Progress in an age of upheaval”, it brings together representatives of governments, European institutions, international organisations, business and academia to discuss global geopolitical, economic and technological challenges.
