Márton Nagy, National Economy Minister, has met Microsoft executives in Budapest, including the company’s Associate General Counsel for Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA), Robert Ivanschitz.
According to MTI, the main topics of the meeting were Hungary’s plans when it takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year, regulatory issues surrounding artificial intelligence, and the possibilities of using AI in the public sector. The sides were in agreement that the use of advanced technologies like 5G, Big Data and AI have become the most important “breakout points” for the world’s economies. Nagy said regarding the regulation of AI that for the government AI is primarily a matter of competitiveness. Regulations that support European businesses and developments and reduce the exposure of SMEs are needed, he added. The minister said the acceptable approach was one that protects individuals and institutions but doesn’t limit technological development or needlessly increase red tape and provides member states with enough room for manoeuvre. That was why, he said, European autonomy and sovereignty needed to be strengthened in the field of AI as well, and called for supporting national language models. The digital economy accounts for 25% of Hungary’s GDP, Nagy said, noting that the government’s goal was for Hungary to be among the EU’s ten most digitally advanced countries by 2030.