Lithuania well-prepared for AI development, association head says

VILNIUS – As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ranks Lithuania as well-prepared for the application of artificial intelligence (AI), the authorities and market players say the country is set to expand its use of AI and implement new European regulation.

"We have a strong good community, companies and start-ups. We can also see the involvement of the public sector and public authorities," Linas Petkevicius, president of the Lithuanian Artificial Intelligence Association, told BNS.

The Economy and Innovation Ministry says that AI usage is being consistently promoted, and legislative amendments related to the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act are being prepared.  Additionally, a Lithuanian-language AI tool is currently under development.

The AI Act came into force across the EU on August 1, making the bloc the first in the world to regulate the use of AI and limit its risks.  

"Lithuania will create a legal model and a dynamic ecosystem that will not only ensure ethical standards and the protection of consumers' rights in the application of AI solutions, but also encourage AI innovation. The top priority is to provide as much support as possible to companies developing such solutions," the ministry told BNS.

Petkevicius says the AI Act is as significant as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

"We've already done our homework, and compared to other European countries, we're moving at a faster pace. We very much hope that, unlike with the GDPR, these regulatory changes won't catch businesses by surprise – they'll be prepared," he said.

The ministry said that it has allocated 35 million euros to support Lithuanian-language resources for Lithuanian AI technology, which it said is already under development. 

Petkevicius said the funding will help create a Lithuanian-language ChatGPT chatbot, adding that a Lithuanian database could be developed next year.

The IMF's AI Preparedness Index, published in June, assesses how prepared 174 economies around the world are for adapting their digital infrastructure, labor market policies, innovation and legal environments to AI.

Lithuania is ranked 23rd globally with a preparedness index of 0.63, similar to Latvia, China and Malaysia.