Maltese delegation at World Summit AI in Amsterdam

Parliamentary secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation Silvio Schembri led a Maltese delegation that participated in the World Summit AI in Amsterdam. The delegation was made up of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, Tech.MT and Malta Enterprise who engaged with stakeholders closely involved in the AI ecosystem while showcasing Malta’s strategy and vision for AI in Malta 2030.

During World Summit AI, Schembri explained further Malta’s national strategy and the AI Certification programme launched a week ago.

When participating in a panel, How to create a coherent, national-level AI Strategy, Schembri explained Malta’s stance in launching its national AI strategy including six pilot projects that will be implemented in the next three years and its vision to make Malta, The ultimate AI launchpad.

“Most importantly, however, is to instil a sense of trust in Artificial Intelligence and its use. For this, Malta became the first in the world to issue an AI certification programme, which will provide applicants with valuable recognition in the marketplace that their AI systems have been developed in an ethically aligned, transparent and socially responsible manner.”

Schembri insisted that Europe must work closer together to step up its game in the digital sector and be able to compete with bigger markets such as the US and China. “Europe has a strong potential in leading the pack in this sector, hence greater cohesion is key in placing Europe as a hotbed for digital innovation.”

Neelie Kroes, Former vice president, European Commission, Mona Keijzer, State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy participated during this panel which was moderated by Aimee van Wynsberghe, assistant Professor and High-level Expert Group on AI, TU Delft and European Commission.

World Summit AI is considered the world’s leading and largest AI summit which gathers the global AI ecosystem of Enterprise, BigTech, Startups, Investors and Science, the brightest brains in AI with the aim to stir further discussions on AI and to tackle head-on the most burning AI issues and set the global AI agenda.

Following the World Summit AI, Schembri met State Secretary Raymond Knops responsible for Interior and Kingdom Relations for the Netherlands, and exchanged views on developments in AI, the European Commission plans on Artificial Intelligence and national initiatives related to AI.

Schembri also had a meeting with the head of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Irakli Beridze and discussed the importance of having trustworthy AI and possible collaboration between Malta and the United Nations.

Schembri was accompanied by the ambassador for Malta in the Netherlands Marlene Bonnici.