Mitsotakis: Rules and Oversight in Artificial Intelligence

The opening of the new "Smart" Building of the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications of the National Center for Research of Natural Sciences "Democritus" was held today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while the Minister of Development Takis Theodoridakis was also present at the ceremony. Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for strict rules of safety, transparency, and accountability in the development of artificial intelligence, warning that uncontrolled evolution poses risks to privacy, jobs, and democratic stability. Speaking at the opening of the new building of the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications of the ECEF "Democritus," the Prime Minister questioned the possibility of self-regulation of the sector and called for the development of the European framework to cover licensing, supervision, and sanctions. At the same event, the Minister of Development Takis Theodoridakis announced the establishment of the "Democritus" Institute of the Eight Institutes, with the aim of Integrity, Security, and Ethics of Research. Mitsotakis: The Illusion of Self-Regulation Ends as an Option Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the warnings of the creators of advanced algorithms themselves about the difficulty in understanding their evolution and self-improvement. "When the creators of these very advanced algorithms tell us publicly that they do not exactly understand how they evolve and how they can improve themselves, then the illusion of self-regulation ceases to be an option," he stated. He included the risks of misinformation, deepfakes, violation of privacy, job loss, and the exploitation of technology by states or terrorist groups for harmful purposes. Comparing the supervision of AI with the controls required for the traffic of aircraft and pharmaceuticals, he pointed out that there is no equivalent intervention mechanism in artificial intelligence today. As a basic direction, he established that "technology must remain a tool in the hands of humans and not the other way around." As Mr. Mitsotakis said: "Our position is therefore absolutely clear: as we embrace and see the opportunities of artificial intelligence, we insist that the development of these models must follow strict rules of safety, transparency, accountability, and, of course, respect fundamental rights and common values. I want to remind you of this European framework, which already exists, but must be evolved; it must determine the way of licensing, supervision, and corresponding sanctions. With a simple compass: technology must remain a tool in the hands of humans and not the other way around." New Institute for Responsible Research The new IRISE Institute will have a multidisciplinary character and will develop knowledge, tools, and policies for reliable artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and responsible research. Takis Theodoridakis stressed that technological progress must be accompanied by guarantees of safety and responsibility towards people, linking the freedom of research with the protection of public interest and citizens' rights. For his part, the Prime Minister supported that the discussion requires the cooperation of scientists and thinkers from different fields, as philosophical and ethical questions are also raised. Infrastructure of 8.5 million euros with PHAROS at the center The new bio-climatic building, with a total budget of 8.5 million euros, was financed by the European Investment Bank and the Public Investment Program. It covers an area of over 3,800 square meters and has spaces for research teams, collaborations, and advanced equipment, including an upgraded data center. It also houses the PHAROS team, the Greek Artificial Intelligence Institute, as well as the "Democritus" team which has the overall technical coordination of the project. The research centers "Athena," ITE, and EKETA also participate in this. Kyriakos Mitsotakis set the goal of developing applications that can be utilized outside of Greece in areas such as health, education, political protection, and defense. As he noted, the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications is an important arm of the national ecosystem for research and development of usable artificial intelligence applications, having taken on the technical coordination of the AI factory "Pharos," which has the new national supercomputer "Daidalos" as its main computing power provider. Connection with Businesses The Minister of Development reported that a program of over 300 million euros is being completed for the upgrading of infrastructures and equipment of the research centers through the Recovery Fund. He reiterated that projects that will not be completed will be included in the Ministry's Public Investment Program. In parallel, he referred to tax over-expenditures of up to 315% for research and development expenditures and the support of tech entrepreneurs and startups. As an example, he presented the Greek AI Startup Accelerator, in cooperation with OpenAI and Endeavor Greece, which provides 21 startups with access to tools, expertise, and international networks. In his congratulations, the Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis emphasized the applications of research in health, environment, culture, and cybersecurity, underlining the importance of cooperation between researchers and businesses. He himself emphasized that: "In the Government and the Ministry of Development, we firmly believe that scientific knowledge gains its true value when it is put into practice." As he stated: "At the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications, we see interdisciplinarity in full application, with research expanding into critical areas: - In Culture, highlighting our heritage through the interactive exhibit at the Aristotle Lyceum and the AiTHERION initiative. - In Environment, utilizing AI for climate change and disaster prevention, through the AI Factory PHAROS, the autonomous vessel AngelFish in Lake Marathon, and satellite applications for detecting oil slicks. - In Artificial Intelligence & Next Generation Networks, pioneering with the 6G experimental platform in Athens for fire detection, rescue, safe transportation, and energy saving. - In Health, with the BioHIT team in drug repositioning and precision medicine, and through smartHEALTH and the PHAROS infrastructures that bring solutions to the market and society. - In Cybersecurity & Defense, protecting critical infrastructures and networks, with active participation in European projects and the European Defence Fund (EDF)."