President Karis admitted that the objective of data protection regulations was fair – to curb the power of big corporations and prevent them from collecting our data without restrictions. “But in practice, the public sector itself is often caught up in restrictions,” he said. “Too often, the public sector or scientists face greater obstacles than technology companies.”
The Head of State posed the question: can we build a future where governments use data as efficiently and responsibly as the private sector, and can the use of public services be as easy as clicking on an advertisement?
According to President Karis, new technologies will also change the future of defence and security, strengthen our sense of security and digital innovation can support a stronger and more resilient Europe. “The same creative spirit that fuels our start-ups can help create solutions that strengthen deterrence, increase resilience and protect the values we hold dear,” said the highest leader of national defence. “It’s no longer a question of whether we can contribute, but how quickly and how boldly we want to do it.”
According to the Estonian Head of State, Latitude59 is a celebration of innovation, a spark of bold ideas and an invitation to dream big, where no one thinks just about the future, but how to create it together. The Head of State referred to the need to create digital solutions that strengthen the European single market. “A comprehensive reform across Member States could take decades, but digital innovation can get us to the finish line faster,” he said. He advised the conference participants to think how we could make it easier for companies to expand across borders and improve access to credit in other member states, even if a true capital markets union is still in the making.
In his opening speech at the conference, President Karis said that we live in an interesting and challenging time. “The global economy has been rocked by a succession of crises – pandemics, problems in energy security and shifts in geopolitical power lines. And we’re seeing, more and more, how free world trade is gradually disintegrating as new restrictions and barriers are introduced,” said the Estonian Head of State and added that some of these barriers may offer short-term opportunities, but we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. “Trade barriers curb entrepreneurship, limit market potential and make us all poorer. That’s why we need to increase our competitiveness in Europe – and the technology sector is one of the strongest driving forces.”
According to President Karis, Latitude59 gives us an opportunity to unleash our imagination: “Let’s dream of technologies and solutions that may seem bold or even impossible today, but which, with the help of courage and cooperation, could be a reality tomorrow.”
The Head of State said that Estonia is also rethinking education, and has launched the AI Leap programme, the objective of which is to bring AI tools into upper secondary school classrooms and train teachers. “Students already come in contact with artificial intelligence. Now, we’re helping them to do this in a way that supports learning and opens up new opportunities,” said President Karis and added that Estonian education is among the world’s best, but will not rest on its laurels: “We’re moving forward, believing that the next generation deserves even better.”
Photos: Natalie Pastakeda/Vita Pictura https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCfaM1
