Slovenia this week announced its plans, to set up Europe’s first international artificial intelligence research centre, which will have the official support of the UNESCO.
At the gala celebration of the 70th anniversary of Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia’s leading scientific research establishment, Slovenian Prime Minster Marjan Šarec announced that the Department of Intelligent Systems at the JSI in Ljubljana will be converted into a centre that focuses on the governance and policies surrounding AI.
Prime Minister Šarec, said, “All of this Slovenian know-how which has been applied for all these years, and all the knowledge that we possessed in the past and that we still possess today is undoubtedly a reason for us, or should I say you, to be proud… Nevertheless, this government is aware of the importance of science, research and development. Of course, the government cannot guide all of this, but it can contribute funding and above all ensure that those funds are allocated correctly and used sensibly.”
The JSI grew out of the physics department of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and was officially founded in 1949. The institute bears the name of renowned Slovenian physicist Jožef Stefan, the only Slovene to have a physical law named after him – Stefan’s law of radiation. The institute employs nearly 1,000 people, who work hard to promote technological, social and economic development in Slovenia and internationally.
Reportedly, the institute and the committee will focus on various ways of developing and improving capacities, such as setting up other research centres around the world, developing training courses, raising global awareness, and creating a network of data exchange.
