In order to implement the Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (LMIC) project, the state could found an association with specific functions, as well as attract investments of EUR 500 million in five years’ time, as LETA was told by representatives of the Ministry of Economics.
LMIC vision provides for attracting world-class companies and universities to make Latvia the most competitive country in the European Union when it comes to the development of different forms of application for artificial intelligence.
It is planned that in the first five years LMIC could attract EUR 500 million of investment in projects that will become LMIC. According to the ministry’s estimates, in cooperation with global companies, five international projects could be implemented during this period, two to three AI-based solutions could be implemented in public administration each year, and the level of innovation in the country could be increased.
The use of artificial intelligence to perform public functions will also help lower the number of people employed in public administration, the ministry believes.
Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis notes that Latvia already has an ecosystem for AI solutions, but it is fractured. There are plans for both universities and companies (“Latvijas mobilais telefons”, “Tet”, “Tilde” and others), as well as state institutions and a number of associations involved, but this is not a priority.
The ministry predicts that the tasks of the LMIC will include the coordination of the artificial intelligence ecosystem, the administration of state support in the field of artificial intelligence, the development of artificial intelligence security and reliability capabilities and processes, the provision of infrastructure for the development of new products, the piloting and implementation of artificial intelligence solutions in public administration, as well as international cooperation projects in the field of artificial intelligence.
In order for the LMIC project to move forward, several steps must be taken – to approve the LMIC concept in the Cabinet of Ministers, to prepare a legal framework, to work with the parties involved to solve conceptual issues, for example, on data exchange, security mechanisms, inform the representatives of the ministry.
In order to do this, the Ministry of Economics will organise a meeting with the Data State Inspectorate and various businesses, including Meta.