'We're already fighting yesterday's battle': Greece's prime minister gets candid about AI
Most leaders on a trade mission stick to the pitch, but when I interviewed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this week, he also admitted that no government is ready for what AI is about to do.
TL;DR
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited San Francisco to promote investment in Greece.
- He highlighted Greece's economic recovery, debt reduction, and improved borrowing rates.
- Investments have been made in digital infrastructure, including a new supercomputer for AI research.
- Policy changes, such as altered stock option taxes and loosened labor laws, aim to attract tech companies.
- Mitsotakis expressed concern about the societal impacts of AI, including its effect on children and education.
- Greece is implementing a ban on social media for children under 15.
- He acknowledged that governments are not prepared for the speed of AI-driven job displacement.
- Mitsotakis supports listening to AI developers' concerns about self-improving models and advocates for 'smart regulation'.
- Greece is welcoming data center investments, facing less opposition than other global locations.
- He suggested Greece, with its historical ties to philosophical debate, could be a suitable location for discussions on AI's future.