PM Zhelyazkov: Bulgaria should make most of opportunity of 200B euro to develop AI in Europe
Two hundred billion euro will be available for the development of artificial intelligence in Europe and Bulgaria should make the most of this opportunity, Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov said at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, the government information service said on February 11.
The funds were announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and they will be raised through public-private partnerships and can be used on a project basis.
Zhelyazkov emphasised the achievements of Bulgaria through the Institute of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology – INSAIT, which is the first of its kind in Eastern Europe, the statement said.
The statement said that Zhelyazkov was accompanied in Paris by the scientific director of the institute, Professor Martin Vechev, precisely in order to familiarise the widest possible circle of potential partners with the serious potential of INSAIT.
“It was also important to make our contribution to the development of artificial intelligence with the projects that we launch in our bilateral meetings,” Zhelyazkov said.
Vechev said: “Bulgaria can become one of the leaders in Europe in the field of artificial intelligence”.
He said that INSAIT and other Bulgarian organisations had submitted a project in connection with the European Commission’s initiative for “AI Factories”.
The AI Factories will significantly increase the computing power available for the development of artificial intelligence in Europe, the statement said.
They will be interconnected and accessible to European start-ups, industry and researchers in the field.
Vechev said that thanks to INSAIT, Bulgaria has a huge advantage over a number of other countries, as the institute and its research are at a world-class level.
Zhelyazkov said that in the context of the development of artificial intelligence, the large-scale conversation is not about whether we are afraid or see opportunities on the topic.
“It is now about increasing competitiveness,” he said.
Zhelyazkov addressed the topic of regulations, which are important for artificial intelligence to be safe and principled, the government statement said.
Energy issues are also related to the development of artificial intelligence, as the ever-increasing computing power requires more energy, which also means greater energy connectivity.
“These are also issues related to targeted investments, because the competition that is emerging between the European Union, between the US and China, means more and more investments in artificial intelligence. We believe that we have our place and this place has been proven by the INSAIT projects,” Zhelyazkov said.
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