According to the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize every aspect of society, including healthcare, transportation, education, and finance. It offers new opportunities for innovation and growth, and can improve people’s lives in ways that are yet to be discovered. His remarks were made at the “Age of Artificial Intelligence” ceremony and mini-conference, which celebrated the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia’s two years of work in Novi Sad.

The EU and Serbia have a robust research and innovation partnership, as evidenced by the grants awarded to the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia. The “It Takes Two to Tango” project, funded by the Horizon Europe 2022 program, aims to develop a synergistic approach to human-machine decision-making, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between humans and machines in AI development.

Ambassador Giaufret also announced the possibility of an EU-funded grant through the SAIGE project, which aims to support the strengthening and acceleration of the Serbian innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. These examples highlight the strong partnership between Serbia and the EU in promoting research and innovation, particularly in AI.

In 2019, Serbia adopted the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, making it the 26th country worldwide to have such a plan. In 2021, the country established the Institute for the Development of Artificial Intelligence and put a “supercomputer” into operation. Serbia has also been a member of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence since last year.

The EU’s support for innovation and competitiveness in Serbia amounts to over €200 million euros since 2014. The funds allocated to this sector are intended to enhance the quality of science, innovation, and connections with European and international scientists and entrepreneurs, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Serbian economy. Serbia has been a beneficiary of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation since 2014.