Latvia establishes Artificial Intelligence Centre
Latvia has established a new Artificial Intelligence Centre, a collaborative initiative between public administration, universities, and businesses, to drive the development of safe, ethical, and reliable AI applications. The Centre's mission encompasses participation in global AI governance and the promotion of responsible and sustainable technology use.
Founded by the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (MoSDAR), the Association of Latvian Universities, and the Information and Communications Technology Association, the Centre is structured as a private foundation. This set-up provides the necessary flexibility to attract expert talent, leverage university and private sector resources, and facilitate collaboration with state institutions, all while maintaining data security protocols, according to MoSDAR.
Inga Bērziņa, Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, “The need for AI-specific solutions and applications in manufacturing, science, data analysis and other areas creates opportunities for us. Through specialisation, expertise and creativity, we can create innovative niche products with high added value."
The work of the AI Centre will be led by the council consisting of representatives from universities, LIKTA, MoSARD, the Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Defence:
Raivis Bremšmits, Deputy State Secretary on Economic Issues, Ministry of Economics;
Aivars Puriņš, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence;
Gatis Ozols, Deputy State Secretary on Digital Transformation Issues at the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development;
Ieva Ilves, cybersecurity and digital policy expert;
Irina Arhipova, Rector of the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies;
Ēriks Eglītis, Director of Information Technology Services, University of Latvia;
Signe Bāliņa, President of the Information and Communication Technology Association (LIKTA);
Andrejs Vasiļjevs, co-founder and board member of LLC "Tilde";
Ņikita Kazakevičs, Head of Ecosystem Cooperation at LLC "Latvijas Mobilais Telefons".
LIKTA President Signe Bāliņa, “Artificial intelligence is one of the key drivers of digital transformation. Latvian companies and society as a whole need to develop knowledge and competencies in this area. The creation of the AI Centre 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.”
The Centre will focus on four key areas:
Promoting the adoption of AI across various sectors to enhance national competitiveness, public interest, and security.
Driving the integration of AI within public administration to develop more efficient and innovative solutions.
Ensuring the incorporation of the Latvian language and cultural heritage into AI systems, while analysing and mitigating the societal risks associated with AI use.
Providing recommendations to address these risks. The centre will also build strategic AI innovation partnerships, and develop pilot projects with international funding.
The Centre activities will focus on building strategic AI innovation partnerships and preparing and implementing pilot projects by attracting EU and international funding. The Centre will also support the introduction of AI in public administration by providing advice and guidance.
