Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208016
06.02.2020 10 INTERVIEW 'In 2030, Malta will be recognised What is the role of MDIA? e Maltese Government recognised the importance of emerging technol- ogies and the advantages they could bring to various sectors of the economy. Malta chose to not only embrace these disruptive technologies but also to pro- tect and certify them. e Government therefore took a global lead when it es- tablished a new regulatory framework centring around the use of Innovative Technology Arrangements capturing Distributed Ledger Technology ("DLT") platforms, Blockchain and AI technol- ogy, with the primary aim of provid- ing transparency and legal certainty in innovative technology. e legislation aims to instil peace of mind and cer- tainty, as society places more trust in technology. Hence why MDIA was cre- ated: to enforce standards that protect and support all users and encourage all types of innovations. Furthermore, this regulatory framework positions Malta at the forefront of technological business opportunities, as it creates a sound platform for innovators as Mal- ta aspires to become the "Ultimate AI Launchpad". Malta recently launched its National AI Strategy. What is the vision for the country? And does government have a role in enabling this? Our aspiration is for Malta to become the "Ultimate AI Launchpad" where local and foreign companies can op- erate from and ultimately test, scale, and showcase their innovations to the rest of the world. To this effect, we are the first country in the world to certify Artificial Intelligence software, which is key to ensuring that artificial intelli- gence-based products are trustworthy and dependable. Not only do we carry out due diligence on the individuals but also due diligence on the technology it- self. MDIA played a key role in estab- lishing a framework that ensures safety, quality and dependability of DLT and AI-based systems, through a technology certification process. e Government has taken a clear stance on technolog- ical innovation: it should be embraced not stifled. Hence our efforts to position Malta as an enabler of safe technology, creating the necessary conditions for AI to springboard from Malta to the world. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Predictive Analytics, Neural Networks ... These are just some of the names used to describe some of the things that have been worked on since the 50s. So why all this hype about AI now? What has changed? AI has been an academic discipline for more than six decades. It has now shifted and evolved into a technologi- cal innovation that impacts our socie- ty directly due to the advancements in processing power and the accessibility of inexpensive storage. AI is widely con- sidered to be a general-purpose tech- nology that has functions and charac- teristics which can generate and spread incremental and radical innovation and business growth. Research carried out confirms that AI is expected to make a noticeable difference to every one of us in the way we work and live our lives. We already interact with AI-based sys- tems daily without perhaps realising we do so. Applications that have AI tech- nologies embedded in them include search engines, social media channels and also online shopping recommenda- tions. With Malta's limited R&D budget, what kind of AI is it possible to create in Malta? R&D is one of the major drivers of in- novation as it helps new products and services to be brought to the market. e Government is committed to en- courage research in niche areas such as AI by increasing R&D expenditure and AI adoption through high -profile pilot projects. ese include AI for traf- fic management, education, healthcare, customer service, tourism and using AI for better utilities. ese pilot projects will foster further the adoption of AI in their respective areas and support on- going research in the field. MDIA's role will be to monitor the pilot projects and ensure that each one gets implement- ed by their respective owner. Recent investments in infrastructure and leg- islation placed us in a strong position to become a leader in health-related AI research. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said: "The pace of progress in artificial intelligence is incredibly fast ... You have no idea how fast it is growing; at a pace close to exponential. The risk of something seriously dangerous happening is in the five-year timeframe. 10 years at most." ... Can artificial intelligence be dangerous? As outlined in our Strategy and Vi- sion for AI 2030, it may be possible in the distant future for human engineers to create an AI that can demonstrate a more general intelligence, rather than Over the past few decades, Stephen McCarhy has provided guidance and assistance in steering a number of companies forward, always instilling an element of innovation within the operations of the companies he's headed. He was appointed CEO of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority when it was founded and is on track to establish, lead and grow it into one of Malta's most important game- changers in the years to come