During EFNI in Sopot, you took part in a discussion panel discussing the digitalization of Europe. What can have the greatest impact on the expected changes?
Democratizing generative artificial intelligence, which can be achieved through cooperation between universities, business and government. This model is referred to as a “triple helix”. This is what AI policy leaders like Singapore and the United Arab Emirates do. Firstly, they invest significant resources in creating the basis for the development of this area, i.e. education, improving employee qualifications and access to computing resources. Second, they are accelerating AI adoption in priority sectors, in both public and private spheres, through targeted initiatives and strategic actions. And third, they position universities as engines of innovation.
In our opinion, it is necessary for governments, including Poland’s, to strive to introduce a similar comprehensive package of measures. According to the “Unlocking Europe’s AI Potential” study, conducted by Strand Partners on behalf of Amazon Web Services (AWS), the economic implications of the democratization of AI are significant. At the current rate of implementation of artificial intelligence by European companies (32% growth y/y), by 2030 the European economy may gain over EUR 600 billion in value. This is part of the estimated economic value of €3.4 trillion that could be unlocked if the EU achieves its Digital Decade Goals targets.
Let’s focus on regulations for a moment. What is their relationship to the business?
The role of business, in addition to activities supporting local communities, should be substantive cooperation with decision-makers. That’s why we want to be a partner for the government and share our knowledge. The point is that the solutions we propose are proven and effective in practice.
At the same time, from a business point of view, it would be better if individual governments regulate legal issues based on international standards and definitions, preventing a patchwork of conflicting local regulations, which would strengthen the potential of AI, especially for small, innovative companies. In short, to become a leader, we must take an ambitious and comprehensive approach to the development of the innovation development ecosystem.
One of the important aspects you mentioned in the context of the digitalization of Europe is the involvement of scientific institutions. Why is this so important?
As I mentioned, thriving AI ecosystems position universities as engines of innovation. I can proudly admit that we have great IT experts in Poland. We also run numerous educational projects ourselves. For example, Hour of Code and Women in Tech Camp, implemented with many non-governmental organizations. We also have an Amazon internship program that we offer to high school graduates. Thanks to it, they can develop talents and qualifications of the future (including robotics and mechatronics) while maintaining the possibility of further education at universities, and at Amazon Development Center Poland we also offer internships for students of technical faculties.
The educational program that I am particularly proud of is “Girls Do Engineering”, under which high school students from Pomerania take part in several months of training and mentoring conducted by the best experts. In this way, we have the opportunity to encourage as many women as possible to pursue a career and pursue higher education in engineering.
What else do we need for Poland to become a leader in innovation? First and foremost, investment in postgraduate education such as PhDs, master’s degrees and international scholarships to meet the demand for AI talent. It is also essential to promote inclusivity and encourage upskilling in AI across all professional groups. And finally – the creation of a national research cloud to support academic research, start-ups and find applications for them in the public sector.
This year, Amazon celebrates its 10th anniversary of operations in Poland, and your artificial intelligence Alexa celebrates its 10th birthday. What was the most important thing that happened at Amazon Development Center Poland (ADCP) during this time?
Our history in Poland began in 2013, with the purchase of the Tri-City start-up Ivona Software, a leader in text-to-speech technology. Shortly thereafter, Amazon opened its first research and development center in Gdańsk. Over time, the Center’s activities expanded to Warsaw and Kraków.
Ivona’s technology laid the foundation for Alexa’s voice, marking a pivotal moment for Amazon in AI voice innovation. Based on the experience of Ivona Software, ADCP has developed advanced text-to-speech (TTS) and neural text-to-speech (NTTS) technologies. Since its inception, ADCP has also expanded Alexa’s capabilities through the integration of generative AI and natural language processing (NLP), which now powers more than 500 million Alexa devices worldwide, making Amazon a global leader in voice AI.
On the occasion of the anniversary, I wish Amazon, ADCP and our partners and customers unlimited but at the same time conscious access to generative artificial intelligence, because it means development for all of us. For this, we need, as I have already mentioned, legal regulations allowing for the efficient acceleration of new technologies and broad cooperation of many different sectors co-creating the innovation ecosystem.
photo: press materials
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