At the fourth International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit'24) organised by our Presidency's Directorate of Communications under the theme "AI in Communication: Trends, Traps and Transition," two panels titled ''Innovation for Modernisation: Albania's State Digital Revolution'' and "AI-driven Communication for Sustainable Economic Growth: Opportunities for Bulgaria and Beyond'' were held.
The first session was moderated by BBC News Anchor and Correspondent Louisa Pilbeam and featured a speech by Director General of the Media and Information Agency of the Republic of Albania Alteo Hysi.
Hysi began his address by thanking Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun for bringing together professionals to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
Stating that Albanian citizens are now able to manage numerous administrative processes faster than they were 10 years ago thanks to digitalisation, Hysi underlined that the most significant problem with artificial intelligence, which stands out as the latest trend in technological developments, is its reliability.
Noting that they would implement a new artificial intelligence project in public services, Hysi stated that they would enhance transparency in tenders, reduce administrative costs and accelerate the process with this project.
Stating that through the “Smart Lab” project, children learn about coding from the first year of their studies, Hysi emphasised that they strive to make children feel more at ease in the future by empowering them with these skills.
"AI-Driven Communication for Sustainable Economic Growth: Opportunities for Bulgaria and Beyond"
In the second session titled, "AI-driven Communication for Sustainable Economic Growth: Opportunities for Bulgaria and Beyond", moderated by News Anchor Robyn Dwyer, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria, Krasimir Yakimov, gave a speech.
Yakimov expressed his enthusiasm for the innovations that artificial intelligence will bring in making people's lives easier.
Emphasising the importance of establishing a risk-free environment in order for artificial intelligence to advance in a positive direction, Yakimov stated that cyber security laws serve as the foundation of such an environment.
Yakimov stated that Bulgaria has created a local artificial intelligence chatbot that is comparable to ChatGPT and that they are currently working on improving the country's insufficient infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.
Stating that as part of its efforts to combat the migration of talent, Bulgaria is offering competitive salaries to individuals employed in the fields of artificial intelligence and informatics, Yakimov also underscored the importance of the entire ecosystem's growth to ensure that specialists in these fields remain in the country.
Yakimov also addressed the notion that artificial intelligence will eliminate employment in the future, stating that he is of the opinion that it will simplify the lives of individuals and allow them to produce higher-quality work.
In addition, Yakimov also emphasised the importance of collaboration among academia, public institutions, private corporations, and governments for the future of artificial intelligence.
