Collaborating to Establish the AI Centre: MoSARD, LIKTA, and the Association of Latvian Universities Team Up
Let's Dish on the AI Revolution in Latvia!
It's about to get techy in Latvia, y'all! The Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development, Inga Bērziņa, the bigwigs at the Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA), Signe Bāliņa, and the Chairperson of the Council of the Association of Latvian Universities, Aigars Pētersons, have joined forces to launch something groundbreaking: the Centre of Artificial Intelligence (MIC)!
This is the first of its kind in Latvia, and, lemme tell ya, it's gonna be a game-changer. With the help of public administrations, universities, and companies, MIC was set up as a private foundation to create safe, ethical, and dependable AI applications. Get ready to ride the AI wave, because MIC is getting in on the global AI governance action, promoting responsible and sustainable tech use.
The Law on the Centre of Artificial Intelligence, approved by the Parliament on March 6, is the guiding light for MIC's activities. Inga Bērziņa, Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, is hyped: "In the global competition, great oaks from little acorns grow. The need for AI-specific solutions and applications in manufacturing, science, data analysis, and other areas creates opportunities for us. Through specialization, expertise, and creativity, we can create sought-after niche products with high added value. If we are fast, accurate, and unique, we will definitely succeed."
So, who's running the show at MIC? It's structured around the Council, a Director, and a Secretariat, which will be provided by the National Digital Development Agency (NDDA). The council members include reps from universities, LIKTA, MoSARD, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Defence, cybersecurity and digital policy experts, rectors of universities, senior execs from the tech sector, and more. Everyone's volunteering their time to ensure impartiality and independence. The competition for the MIC leader position is set to kick off in April.
Establishing MIC as a private foundation gives it the flexibility to bring in the talents it needs, tap into university and private sector resources, and ensure efficient governance, all without adding new positions to the public administration. This setup allows for swift, professional action while keeping a watchful eye in the public interest. With this, MIC can efficiently involve specialists and promote innovative solutions.
LIKTA President Signe Bāliņa weighs in: "Artificial intelligence is one of the key drivers of digital transformation. So, Latvian companies and society as a whole need to develop knowledge and competencies in this area. The creation of the MIC is an important step towards fostering cooperation between industry, academia, and public institutions. LIKTA, as one of the co-founders of the Centre, will be actively involved in its activities to ensure that AI solutions contribute to the competitiveness of Latvian companies and the well-being of society."
MIC's got some big objectives! They're going to encourage the adoption of AI across various sectors to enhance national competitiveness, public interest, and security. They'll help introduce AI in public administration, take care of integrating the Latvian language and cultural heritage in AI systems, analyze societal risks linked to AI use, and provide recommendations for risk prevention. MIC will also partner up with competent authorities to create a special regulatory environment that allows developers and maintainers of AI solutions to test their creations safely and ethically against EU and Latvian laws and regulations before hitting the market.
So, prepare for a tech-tastic future, folks! The MIC is here to help Latvia stay competitive in the global AI race and make some killer AI apps for the manufacturing, science, and data analysis scenes. And the best part is that they're all about keeping things local, ensuring that Latvian culture and language stay front and center. AI is here, and Latvia is ready to rock it, y'all! 🤖💪️🇱🇻🚀
- The Centre of Artificial Intelligence (MIC) in Latvia aims to integrate artificial-intelligence technology in various sectors for enhancing national competitiveness, public interest, and security.
- In a bid to promote responsible and sustainable tech use, MIC will analyze societal risks linked to AI use and provide recommendations for risk prevention.
- The Chairperson of the Council of the Association of Latvian Universities, Aigars Pētersons, emphasizes the importance of developing knowledge and competencies in AI, stating that it is one of the key drivers of digital transformation.
- To ensure efficient governance and swift professional action, MIC is structured as a private foundation, allowing it to bring in the necessary talents and tap into both university and private sector resources.
- The deployment of AI applications in Latvia will be guided by the Law on the Centre of Artificial Intelligence, approved by the Parliament, with the goal of creating safe, ethical, and dependable AI solutions.
