The founders of the Coalition for Artificial Intelligence intend to jointly define the directions and framework for the development of artificial intelligence in Hungary. We asked László Boa, the professional leader of the MI Coalition, which provides a permanent forum for industry players, about the work of the Coalition and the changes in the industry.
László Boa: The main motivation for the establishment of the MI Coalition was so that our country can be at the forefront of European developments in the field of M1. To achieve this, we will increase the number of MI-based developments. Universities, startups, SMEs and large companies must also be involved in the developments. As DATA is an essential part and basis of all MI development, it is of paramount importance that the state takes part in the development of the M1 ecosystem through the judicious use of national data assets and as a user of M1 solutions.
CW: What role do you think Hungary is playing in the international arena now, and what are your goals for the future?
László Boa: Many companies and universities are currently developing world-class solutions in Hungary, where Hungarian colleagues are key players in their professional work. An example is autonomous transport and telecommunications, where we can place the solutions developed in Hungary at the forefront of the world without any modesty. The clear goal is to maintain this position and, if possible, further strengthen it.
In addition, of course, we find outstanding domestic solutions in almost every industry. It is important for domestic actors to be active parts of the international professional community, therefore we are constantly building foreign relations with similar organizations and universities, and monitoring application opportunities.
CW: MI The coalition participated in the development of Hungary’s MI strategy, which was presented in September 2020 by the Digital Welfare Program. What are the main short- and long-term strategic points?
László Boa: The strategy has designated the key industry sectors, specific headline targets and metrics for each area. The task is the implementation of the strategy, which lasts from the definition of the tasks and needs to be solved to the concrete implementation. The short-term goal was to carry out the tasks, to identify the relevant actors and organizations, to set them up if necessary, and to prepare industry project plans.
CW: Did the pandemic affect the professional work of the MI Coalition? In your opinion, how did the Hungarian sector react to the pandemic situation?
László Boa: Due to the coronavirus unfortunately, many members did not have time for professional work in the coalition. Understandably, they were trying to maintain their day-to-day business. Luckily for the unfortunate, there have typically been difficulties in areas where MI can provide effective support (e.g., customer service automation, forecasting, etc.), so world development in this area has progressed at a faster pace than average, albeit by force. So it was at home. Telecommunications companies, cloud service providers, and operators of local IT systems have faced challenges from one moment to the next that they have not had the opportunity to test before.
At that time, even I tried to help the situation with a multi company by developing MI solutions, so I felt up close how the compulsion can speed up cooperation and professional decisions.
In the IT sector, working from home, remote work meetings, collaboration tools are commonplace, so I think this should not have caused much difficulty, but many companies and institutions were not prepared for this situation in terms of work organization. I would not list the additional difficulties;
CW: What are the most important goals and projects of the MI Coalition in 2021?
László Boa: If I would like to answer briefly and strikingly, I would say that we will finally start delivering tangible “products”. In the form of community projects, we support Hungarian language support, provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises for the implementation of MI solutions, and start projects that serve industry needs, which can be joined.
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