Vice President Iliana Iotova held a working meeting at "Dondukov" 2 with representatives of the Management Board of the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Artificial Intelligence (ASDAI), the head of state's press office reported. The organization was established at the end of July this year and brings together 19 members representing both the business sector and the academic community. During the talks, the representatives of the Alliance presented their vision to the Vice President for the future secure and sustainable integration of artificial intelligence into public life and the business sphere.
During the discussion, the head of state emphasized the parallel between technological opportunities and the challenges that accompany them. According to Iliana Iotova, it is imperative to take into account the risks regarding citizens' cybersecurity and the need to guarantee the authenticity of information. The Vice President also highlighted the social impact of new technologies, noting that the advent of artificial intelligence will inevitably affect many traditional professions. She stressed that a detailed analysis of the positions most threatened by this transformation is crucial in order to take timely steps for workforce retraining and to prevent being unprepared in the face of these changes.
Participants in the meeting expressed unanimity regarding the need for active coordination and constructive cooperation between state institutions, academia, and business representatives. Special attention was paid to the role of the education system, noting that it is necessary for children to be guided from a school age on how to handle information, build critical thinking skills, and acquire the ability to use artificial intelligence responsibly.
A central topic of the conversation was Bulgaria's strategic position in the region, as well as its potential to establish itself as a competitive hub for artificial intelligence technologies. In this context, Iliana Iotova recalled that our country was chosen among a total of six countries in the European Union where the construction of an artificial intelligence factory is planned. The press office recalled that upon its establishment in July, ASDAI set its main goal as working towards the sustainable development of artificial intelligence in our country.