Analysis

Slovenia to set up Europe’s first AI research centre

Slovenia has announced plans to set up Europe’s first international artificial intelligence (AI) research centre, by converting the department of intelligent systems at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana into a centre focusing on the governance and policies which surround AI.

“All of this Slovenian know-how which has been applied for all these years, and all the knowledge that we possessed in the past and that we still possess today is undoubtedly a reason for us, or should I say you, to be proud,” said the country’s prime minister Marjan Šarec at an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the institute.

“You are the ones who know how to use this knowledge, who develop new technologies, and who will perhaps develop things that are unimaginable to us today,” he added.

The centre will be built with the help of UNESCO and will be open to stakeholders from around the world, offering policy support in drawing up guidelines and action plans for introducing AI technology in various fields.

“The guiding principle of AI is not to become autonomous or replace human intelligence. But we must insure that AI is developed through a humanist approach,” said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay.