Artificial intelligence (AI) has been incorporated into our lives for years; in internet search engines and voice assistants, disease diagnosis, science and industry. However, the acceleration and expansion of this sector has attracted attention in recent months and has generated several calls for regulation or even to slow down innovation.
As with all industrial revolutions, new technologies require regulation to ensure safety and good use, for the benefit of the general interest.
And Spain is one of the most advanced countries in this area. For years we have been following a clear strategy, shared with the private sector, aimed at promoting innovation and taking advantage of its advantages by putting people at the center.
Thanks to the Next Generation funds, we have launched unprecedented public investments. To boost R&D and the integration of AI in production chains, with projects to improve energy efficiency, education or agricultural operations, led by 69% of SMEs. To promote territorial structuring with the Retech IA program, which has allocated almost 260 million euros to 13 projects led by the autonomous communities. A chair of Artificial Intelligence and Democracy has already been created and soon we will create 16 university-company chairs and the Spanish Network of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.
In addition, several strategic projects have been launched, such as the PERTE New Language Economy to develop AI in Spanish and the co-official languages, the National Green Algorithms Program for AI to help reduce CO2 emissions, the national quantum computing program Quà ntum Spain, or the National Neurotechnology Center Spain Neurotech, and the attraction to Spain of international research projects.
The regulation of AI and its uses is one of the biggest governance challenges of our time and Spain has a lot to say about it.
We have been pioneers with the Charter of Digital Rights to protect our values ​​in the new digital world. We are the first country in Europe to create a state agency for the supervision of artificial intelligence. It is no wonder that Spain has launched Europe’s first AI test bed and the European Commission has established the European Center for Algorithmic Transparency here.
The Spanish presidency of the EU arrives at a crucial moment to culminate, among others, the Intelligence Regulation
Artificial, which will establish mandatory human oversight for high-risk or general-purpose AI systems such as ChatGPT.
Finally, we have another important advantage: the Government’s good rapport with the private sector. The growth of activity in this area, the significant ongoing investments and the increase in employment in the new digital economy, by more than 22% since before the pandemic, reflects the structural change underway and the opportunities brought by new technologies in terms of more stable, productive employment and with better wages.
We don’t have all the answers about the future of AI, but we do have some certainties. One of which is that it won’t stop. We cannot give up on its potential or be naive. We must ensure that it contributes to the common good and strengthens democracy.
The second certainty is that the ethical use of AI does not happen by chance, but by design. We must get the regulation right and promote the protection of fundamental rights while promoting innovation, a hallmark of this Government.
The third certainty is that it is necessary to sow in the present to reap in the future. This is what we have been doing with our digital agenda, taking advantage of European funds to bet on the immense potential of our country.
It is essential to take advantage of the transformative effect of technology to walk with confidence towards a more prosperous future. And we are doing it, here and now.
