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EU Institutional initiative

Initiative: Pioneers for Artificial Intelligence

By Country of the initiative, Country providing the good practice, EU Initiatives, EU institutional good practice initiative, EU Institutional initiative, Funding of the good practice, INSPIRATION: Good practices, INSPIRATION: Initiatives, Other, Other, Public-private, Type of initiative of the good practiceNo Comments
Initiative: Pioneers for Artificial Intelligence

27.08.2024

The “Innovators for Artificial Intelligence (AI)” initiative is implemented by the non-profit organisation Science For You – SciFY and the ahedd Digital Innovation Hub of the National Centre for Natural Sciences (NCSR) “Demokritos”, with the support of the US Embassy in Athens and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, and aims to train 1,000 Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence in Greece.

Purpose of the Initiative

The main goal of this initiative is to create an active community of 1,000 Pioneers in Greece who will know and can co-shape human-centric Artificial Intelligence (AI), leverage Artificial Intelligence to innovate and shape a better future for all.

The trained community of 1,000 will be composed of members of all professional categories such as:

  • entrepreneurs, high-level private business executives, IT executives
  • policy makers, politicians, Think Tanks, high-level ministries
  • NGO executives, social business executives
  • IT executives, IT students, tech workers, science researchers
  • Social/Political Scientists
  • involved in education (Gymnasium/Lyceum, Business, IT, Political Science, Social Sciences)

This community will be trained through an innovative program and will be networked and stimulated to be able to mobilize forces and collaborations in key sectors of the economy and society utilizing the latest technological developments.

The project includes

  • the training of 1,000 pioneers,
  • the website “AI in Greece“, which will be the central point of reference. It will inform about the developments, about the achievements of the 1,000 Pioneers for AI in Greece, will include articles on AI, educational content, etc.
  • the creation of a supportive community of researchers, experts, consultants, etc. (from Greece and abroad) who will have knowledge, motivation and the ability to contribute with their knowledge and support services. This enhances the sustainability of the project,
  • a networking and exchange platform of 1,000.

Training of the 1,000 frontrunners of the initiative

The training will combine theory and encouragement in practical application. It will be specifically designed for each different target group, and will include:

  • theoretical education (training, attending seminars, buying/offering a book),
  • action: organisation of at least one action on their own initiative, or participation in at least one initiative of another party (e.g. participation in a consultation).

The training will be completed in 3 years, with the aim of training 200 people in the first year, 300 in the second, and 500 in the third.

What is the expected impact?

The ultimate goal is to co-shape and leverage AI to increase impact primarily in the following areas:

  • the daily lives of citizens: understanding how AI works, avoiding undue fear of fake news, participating in consultations on AI,
  • the economy: taking entrepreneurial initiatives, creating new services, increasing innovation, creating competitive advantages,
  • AI policy making: raising awareness of AI issues, helping to create an appropriate regulatory framework, protecting citizens’ rights, fostering AI-enabled entrepreneurship,
  • impact of civil society action: leveraging AI tools to strengthen democracy, pluralism and more effective protection of citizens’ rights;
  • preparing young scientists to make use of AI, regardless of their field of knowledge;
  • strengthening the tools and role of Digital Humanities;
  • better formulation and more effective implementation of the ongoing National Strategy on AI

Why is it a good practice?

AI is already changing our present and future with applications in all areas of our lives. AI skills and knowledge significantly influence the demand for relevant professionals, while companies that make effective use of AI can innovate and grow through appropriate training. At the same time, proper understanding and knowledge of AI can mitigate both the risks and the unpredictable conditions created by this new technology.

New practices for the development of ethical AI systems also require the development of digital skills for human resources and there is a strong need to shape AI in a human-centric and ethical way. SciFY has trained more than 1,500 people to date in AI, participates in the DIGITAL SME Focus Group on AI, the European Commission initiative (AI Watch) and the European DIGITAL SME Alliance consisting of almost 40 AI experts representing companies from all over Europe.

Details

Target audience

Digital skills for all

Digital skills for the workforce

Digital skills in education

Digital technology

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

Level

Basic

Middle

Funding of the good practice

Public-private

Type of initiative of the good practice

EU institutional initiative

Country providing the good practice

Other

Organisation providing the good practice

Digital Decade

By EU Initiatives, EU Institutional initiative, INSPIRATION: Initiatives, Other, Type of initiativeNo Comments
Digital Decade

29.04.2021

The Digital Decade is the European Commission forward-looking strategic vision for the development of the digital economy and the transformation of European businesses by 2030. The plan, presented by the European Commission on 9 March 2021, aims to support a prosperous digital future for all. The Digital Decade vision and avenues for the future are also part of Europe’s Digital Compass, a framework to monitor the progress towards the 2030 targets and milestones, whilst supporting a robust governance structure, monitoring system and multi-country projects involving stakeholders and investors from the EU, Member States and industry and private sector.

To achieve the targets outlined within the Digital Decade strategic communication, actions are structured around 4 cardinal points: digital skills, digital transformation of businesses, secure and sustainable digital infrastructures and digitalisation of public services.

The Digital Decade: digital skills for all by 2030

The EU launched actions to increase the number of qualified and competent Information and communication technology (ICT) professionals and train more digital experts to reach 20 million ICT professionals in Europe (in 2019, ICT specialists in Europe were 7.8 million or 4% of the total workforce). Strategic actions on skills also include the bridging of gender and diversity gaps in the technology sector and initiatives targeting women’s career prospects in the field (the IT sector in Europe has one of the highest levels of gender disparity – in 2019, 82.1% of ICT specialists were men).

With the increased dependence on technology, digital competences and skills have become essential to participate in society, take advantage of digital public services, and remain competitive in the labour market. By 2030, 80% of European citizens should possess at least a basic level of digital skills. 

The Digital Decade is part of the wider strategic priority of the European Commission: ensuring that Europe is fit for the digital age. As a strategic initiative, it underpins and complements a variety of recent actions by the EU institutions (Digital Education Action PlanDigital Europe Programme, the Recovery and Resilience Facility) that aim to promote the upskilling of citizens and businesses.

Data from the Report on the State of the Digital Decade 2024

The latest data, published in the Report on the State of the Digital Decade 2024, show that in 2023, the EU employed just under 10 million ICT specialists, accounting for merely 4.8% of total employment. This already created a shortfall of 900 000 specialists compared to the value predicted in 2023 along the Digital Decade trajectory, with an expected deficit of 7.8 million by 2030 if no further investments are made.

Even with regard to the amount of Europeans with basic digital skills, growth is below target. The latest figures from the same report show that in 2023, only 55.6% of EU citizens had at least basic digital skills, up from 53.9% in 2021. In a couple of years, the EU has experienced a mere 1.5% annual progression, far below the necessary average annual growth of over 4.5% over a decade to meet the target. Recent trends underscore the urgent need for significant and immediate efforts to bridge the gap  towards the 2030 target on at least basic digital skills.

2024 Digital Decade - Graph digital skills and public services

The Path to the Digital Decade Policy Programme

The Communication proposed to agree on a set of digital principles, to launch rapidly important multi-country projects, and to prepare a legislative proposal setting out a robust governance through a monitoring and cooperation mechanism with Member States, to ensure progress – the Policy Programme “Path to the Digital Decade (‘Policy Programme’)”.

To this end, the “Path to the Digital Decade” sets out the concrete digital targets which the Union as a whole is expected to achieve by the end of the decade, as first delineated in the Digital Compass Communication. It then sets out a novel form of governance with Member States, through a mechanism of annual cooperation between the Unions institutions and the Member States to ensure that the Union jointly achieves its ambition.

While of course aiming at endowing the whole population of the European Union with basic digital skills, following the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, and Digital Education Action Plan, the “Path to the Digital Decade” projects the  target for those aged 16-74 with at least basic digital skills to 80% in 2030. Moreover, digital training and education should support a workforce in which people can acquire specialised digital skills to get quality jobs and rewarding
careers.

In addition, addressing the major shortage of cybersecurity skills in the EU workforce will be essential, as an important component of protecting the EU against cyber threats. Therefore, in addition to the target on basic digital skills established in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the EU shall have a target of 20 million employed Information and Communication Technologies specialists in the EU, with convergence between women and men.

© European Commission 2024

Details

Target audience

Digital skills for all

Digital skills for the workforce

Digital skills for ICT professionals

Digital skills in education

Level

Basic

Middle

Advanced

Expert

Country 

EU

 

Type of the initiative

EU institutional initiative