The AI Launchpad is finally here!

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) launchpad is a place where different organisations, irrespective of whether they are public or private, can develop AI solutions aimed at international deployment. Through such a launchpad, these systems can be tried and tested in a controlled, safe environment, thus preparing them for mass adoption.

Prof Alexiei Dingli is a Professor of AI at the University of Malta. He has been conducting research and working in the field of AI for more than two decades, assisting different companies to implement AI solutions. His work has been rated World Class by international experts and he won several local and international awards (such as those by the European Space Agency, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the United Nations to name a few). He has published several peer-reviewed publications and forms part of the Malta.AI task-force which was setup by the Maltese government, aimed at making Malta one of the top AI countries in the world.

The Components

The various components of the launchpad are divided into two; the enablers and the strategic pillars. The enablers are the fundamental components which make up the strategy. Without them, we cannot build AI systems. These include the underlying infrastructure, the legal & ethical framework and the education & workforce enabler. The strategic pillars rely upon the fundamental components. These include the private sector, the public sector and the investments (which includes start-ups and innovation). Together, the different elements make up the AI launchpad strategy.

The Objectives

The objectives of the strategy are various and deal with the different components mentioned earlier, but below, we will give a synthesis of the main ones. These are further divided into two, the short-term strategy which is achievable by 2022, and the long term vision which is a 10-year strategy up till 2030 and possibly beyond.

• The short-term strategy includes the following;

• Increase citizens’ awareness of AI.

• Deepen the students’ awareness of AI.

• Create AI policies shaped by citizens.

• Generate investment and create jobs across different sectors.

• Stimulate Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation.

• Boost AI pilot projects locally and then launch them abroad.

• Train public officers on AI and build an AI-powered Government.

• Help the business community develop knowledge of AI solutions.

• Prepare the country’s workforce for an AI-driven world.

• Update the laws to make them capable of handling disruptive technologies.

• Launch an AI certification framework.

• Make available high-quality open datasets.

• Push the adoption of natural language processing algorithms for native languages.

• Launch a policy for high-performance computing access.

The long-term strategy includes the following;

• Ensure that AI becomes an integral part of our everyday life.

• Make AI a key enabler in most R&D activities.

• Turn the country into a global hub for AI.

• Power public services with AI solutions.

• Increase overall business performance with AI.

• Ensure that all workers have the skill-set needed.

• Make AI part of the national curricula.

• Equip educators with AI tools.

• Guarantee a robust legal, governance and social protection.

• Make effective use of AI, 5G, Internet Of Things (IOT) and other emerging technologies.

• Provide much better ownership and control over personal data.

The Location

The AI launchpad is located in Malta, a small country with a population of approximately half a million inhabitants, many of which are IT literate. The country has been at the forefront of various innovative regulatory frameworks designed to promote the adoption of emerging technologies such as blockchain. It is also one of the smallest members of the European

Union, thus making it ideal as a launchpad towards a 500 million users market. Since it is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, it is strategically located to also target countries in African and the Middle-east. These countries have a global reach of 1.5 billion potential users. Furthermore, since most of the Maltese are at least bilingual (having English as one of their official languages), communication in Malta is rather effortless. With 300 days to sunshine, incredible cultural heritage, a safe environment and magnificent beaches; the country is also the ideal place to livein and raise a family.

The Implementation

The AI Launchpad strategy was launched at the Delta summit held in Malta in October. It is a fascinating period for Malta since it will start the implementation of the new AI strategy. The Government wants Malta to be one of the top 10 countries in the world with regards to AI. There’s still a very long way to go, and it won’t be easy, but the vision is now set. All we have to do now is to work hard to implement it.

The full document of the AI strategy can be downloaded here https://malta.ai