Εστιάζοντας στις προκλήσεις της αγοράς που εντατικοποιήθηκαν από την πανδημία, η PwC Ελλάδας ανακοίνωσε σήμερα ότι σχεδίασε την IFP, μια ειδική πλατφόρμα αυτοματοποίησης και δημιουργίας προβλέψεων χρονοσειρών μέσω διαδικασιών τεχνητής νοημοσύνης, με στόχο τη βελτιστοποίηση του επιχειρησιακού σχεδιασμού και τη λήψη αποφάσεων βάσει δεδομένων (data driven decision making).
Όπως αναφέρεται στην ανακοίνωση, η πλατφόρμα απαντά στις νέες ανάγκες που αναδύονται από τη γρήγορη μετάβαση σε νέα λειτουργικά μοντέλα για τις επιχειρήσεις και τα οποία στηρίζονται σε μεθοδολογίες προηγμένων αναλύσεων (Data Analytics) μεγάλου όγκου δεδομένων (Big Data) και μαθηματικών αλγορίθμων τεχνητής νοημοσύνης (Artificial Intelligence).
Η IFP εκπαιδεύεται και πραγματοποιεί προβλέψεις, επιλέγοντας τον πλέον κατάλληλο αλγόριθμο μέσα από ποικιλία απλών άλλα και σύνθετων μεθοδολογιών τόσο στατιστικής όσο και μηχανικής μάθησης (machine learning).
Επιπλέον, ανιχνεύει, αναλύει και διορθώνει τυχόν ανωμαλίες δεδομένων (data anomaly detection) με κατάλληλες τιμές, χρησιμοποιώντας προηγμένες στατιστικές προσεγγίσεις. Οι χρήστες έχουν τη δυνατότητα σύνδεσης διαφορετικών πηγών δεδομένων, προκειμένου η πλατφόρμα να αποκτήσει ακόμα περισσότερες πληροφορίες, τις οποίες στη συνέχεια θα αξιοποιήσει για τη διαμόρφωση, διάγνωση, εκτέλεση, οπτικοποίηση και ερμηνεία των προβλέψεων. Στο τελικό στάδιο της διαδικασίας τα αποτελέσματα παρουσιάζονται μέσω ενός διαδραστικού πίνακα Business Intelligence (BI).
Εργαλείο ψηφιακού μετασχηματισμού
Ο Ιωσήφ Μπελούκας, Data & Analytics Leader της PwC Ελλάδας αναφέρει σχετικά: «Τα analytics και η τεχνητή νοημοσύνη αναδεικνύονται σε σημαντικό εργαλείο για όλες τις επιχειρήσεις καθώς εξισορροπούν τους τρεις βασικότερους παράγοντες του ψηφιακού μετασχηματισμού: την τεχνολογία, τους ανθρώπους και τις διαδικασίες.
Είμαστε περήφανοι για τη δημιουργία της IFP, καθώς παρέχει στις επιχειρήσεις την ευκολία να αναπτύξουν διαδικασίες για τη μείωση του κόστους, τη διαχείριση του ρίσκου και την αύξηση του ανταγωνιστικού τους πλεονεκτήματος.
Μέσα από τη δημιουργία έξυπνων ψηφιακών εφαρμογών που συνδυάζουν την κατάλληλη τεχνολογία και τις καινοτόμες μεθοδολογίες data intelligence, συμβάλλουμε στην αποτελεσματική λήψη αποφάσεων και την γρήγορη επίλυση καθημερινών προβλημάτων των επιχειρήσεων και των καταναλωτών».
Πηγή: ΑΜΠΕ
Greece: With an AI to the future
1. GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE 2019 in collaboration with2. Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 3TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 6 2. AI Explained 9 2.1 Introduction 10 2.2 So, what is exactly Artificial Intelligence? 12 2.3 Conclusion 17 3. The Greek AI Public Sentiment 19 3.1 Introduction 20 3.2 AI enters the public’s consciousness 20 3.3 Prospects of an AI future - For better or for worse? 21 3.4 AI trust for selected tasks 26 3.5 Conclusion 29 4. Greek Organizations’ AI Readiness 31 4.1 Introduction 32 4.2 AI as an ″agent for change″ 33 4.3 Greek organizations’ AI inertia 37 4.4 Responsible AI - With great power comes great responsibility 41 4.5 Conclusion 45 5. AI as a driver for Greece’s Growth 47 5.1 Introduction 48 5.2 Factoring in AI to boost the national economic growth 49 5.3 Dissecting the additional GDP growth 50 5.4 Seizing AI’s full potential - The National Absorptive Capacity Index 55 5.5 Conclusion 61 6. Next Steps for Policy Makers and Business Leaders 63 6.1 Introduction 64 6.2 For Policy Makers: Clearing the path to an AI future 65 6.3 For Business Leaders: Creating a new playbook for an AI world 74 6.4 Conclusion 81 Appendix: Study Notes 823. Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 4 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms our societies, the way we perceive the world, essentially altering our way of living. Today, we are already beyond the “science fiction” discussion. AI is broadly used in everyday applications. From navigating our cars to automatic translation, from intelligent chatbots to shopping recommendations. Smart homes, smart cars, smart cities. AI is everywhere, it is becoming embedded in our reality. Even though AI isn’t new - computer scientists at Microsoft and elsewhere have been working on AI technologies for the past three decades - it is only in the last few years that AI has moved into mainstream products thanks to a confluence of three factors: the massive computing power of the cloud, the availability of enormous datasets that can be used to teach AI systems and the breakthroughs in developing AI algorithms and improving AI methods such as deep learning. Taken together, these advantages are enabling scientists and developers all over the world to create products and services that use AI to better understand, anticipate and respond to people’s needs. At the same time, AI is changing the businesses that adopt it, having a significant economic and societal effect. It has become clear that the countries that will fare best in the new AI era will be those that embrace these changes rapidly and effectively. This is because new jobs and economic growth will come to those that embrace the technology, not those that resist or delay adopting it. At the same time, there will be challenges coming along with opportunities. We must address the need for strong ethical principles, the evolution of laws, training for new skills and even labor market reforms. This must all come together if we are going to make the most of AI. The potential is enormous. Our world is becoming more intelligent. But is Greece adopting AI? We, at Microsoft Hellas, stay true to our commitment: to bring to Greece, the latest global technology discussion, in real time. We strongly believe that technology can provide the key to unlock Greece’s potential and play a major role in our country’s economic growth and quality of life of its people. Although we recognize that the pace of change is not going to be the same from nation to nation and from region to region, we felt the urgency to observe these changes early and commit not only to foster innovation and progress but also to ensure that our country is not left behind. We also recognize our responsibility to build AI in a way that fosters trust. We acknowledge the need to work together with governments, businesses, academics, social services and NGOs, since AI cannot be created by the tech sector alone. We need to democratize AI in a manner that resembles the way we made the PC available to everyone, so that its benefits are equally distributed. This new study in collaboration with Accenture is aiming at shedding more light and demystifying the status, impact and potential of AI in Greek economy and society. While we don’t have a crystal ball that shows us the future, we do acknowledge that we are all going to need to spend more time listening to and learning from each other. The emerging discussion around AI and its impact is more relevant and urgent than ever. I aspire that this endeavor will contribute to a constructive dialogue and sparkle a set of actions on policy, education, research, business and technology which eventually will level Greece up for the future. A sustainable, optimistic, thriving future for all. Peggy Antonakou CEO Microsoft Greece, Cyprus & Malta FOREWORD4. Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 5FOREWORD Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been in development over several decades but is now reaching a scale of massive applicability. AI is all about detecting patterns out of large data sets, unveiling relationships that are hidden to the naked eye. Whether in medicine or manufacturing, traffic flows, maintenance, forecasting, spending habits or customer interactions, the power of AI is expected to go beyond our 5 senses and enhance our understanding of the world. AI is technology’s way of modeling intuition. It has now become viable thanks to the combinatorial effect of a series of fast-moving technologies and is set to transform the relationship between people and technology. Governments, academic institutions and companies around the world are already embracing AI as a powerful force for building value, aiming to become global frontrunners in their respective fields. For countries that adopt AI, a future of increased growth becomes a key target as AI’s transformative power can be compared to that of electricity or the internal combustion engine - leading to disruption both directly and indirectly, thus enabling a vast range of complementary innovations. Following our previous study on “Digital Greece: The Path to Growth” which underlined the low contribution of digital to the country’s GDP, and highlighted the importance of a national digital rotation, this study comes in to sustain the national dialogue on the new, technological, forces that are shaping our era. Sharing the same anxiety and vision with Microsoft on the digitalization of Greece, we joined forces in this study “Greece: With an AI to the Future” aiming to provide strong evidence that AI can play a fundamental role in unlocking trapped value in Greece, both for businesses and society. We implemented a 360° approach by gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data on the public sentiment of Greek society towards AI, the AI readiness of Greek organizations, AI’s potential contribution to our economy along with a framework for policy makers and business leaders to fully exploit its dynamics for Greece. This effort was underpinned by Accenture’s globally accredited methodologies and econometric models, that have already been successfully applied in other parts of the world. Despite the mixed feelings of the Greek population and hesitation shared by the captains of industry towards AI, the potential impact of AI on the Greek economy and society is inevitable and expected to be sweeping. All stakeholders, including policy makers and business leaders, must work towards improving their “AIQ” and reimagine an AI future for Greece, taking also into consideration the challenges and risks associated with its adoption. Our educational system should also embrace this new reality, introducing AI literacy into the classroom, and helping create the interdisciplinary mindset that is at the core of the new way of creating value. AI is not just another technical buzzword but, rather, a major enabler that will completely transform our thinking about how growth is created both at an organizational and macroeconomic level. AI will unleash exponential creativity, characteristic of the new economy that defines our age. In the journey that lies ahead, Greece can and should seize the opportunity in a spirit of possibility, setting the foundations for a better future for all. Dr Kyriacos Sabatakakis Country Managing Director Accenture S.A.5. 6 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI). From boardrooms to factory floors, from call centers to logistics fleets, and from governments to venture capitalists, Artificial Intelligence has become the hottest topic in town. However, this constellation of technologies that enables machines to sense, comprehend, act and learn is much more than the latest technology buzzword. In fact, AI might just be the single greatest technology revolution the world has ever seen. Organizations, industries, societies and countries as a whole have joined the race to explore AI, harness its benefits and become global AI- frontrunners. All evidence indicates that AI is here, and everyone must stand up and take notice. In Greece, the anaemic growth and the low digital adoption rates set as an imperative the need to transform. AI is a key transformation accelerator and a “game-changer” that we believe deserves the country’s attention. This was the springboard for Accenture to join forces with Microsoft and author this study under the theme “Greece: With an AI to the Future”. The study surfaces Greek public’s perception, hopes and fears on AI. It reveals the AI awareness and readiness of Greek organizations and estimates the projected economic growth that AI can infuse to the Greek economy over the next 15 years. The prospect of an AI-led future both excites and concerns Greeks. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty and the unfamiliarity with AI, makes the majority of the respondents to feel confused, unsure or concerned, about what an AI-led future might entail. This uncertainty however, is offset by people’s views on the positive impact that AI can have on society. From personal assistants to medical preliminary diagnosis, Greeks see many ways in which AI can improve lives and work for the common good. At the same time, due to the rapid rise of AI, many questions and concerns remain open. How will AI affect us? Will we have less control over our lives? Will AI decrease the opportunities for humans and could we form relationships with machines in the same way we currently do with people? Similarly to the Greek public, Greek executives do recognize the strategic importance of AI and acknowledge it as a critical centerpiece for moving forward. It is seen as an “agent for change”, yet, they appear to be reluctant to actively invest in it. Several challenges are claimed to slow down their AI efforts: limited skills for implementing and using AI, IT infrastructure and low data quality being identified as the three top- of-mind ones. Our analysis reveals that AI can act as a new factor of growth for Greece over the next years. In fact, we find that AI has the potential to lead to a cumulative $195 billion GDP uplift over a 15-year period (from 2020 to 2035) - a powerful remedy to the limited growth experienced in the recent years. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY6. 7EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. In the light of the above, a pressing question is born: what can Greece do to fully seize the AI opportunity? Does the country have the luxury of time to wait until AI technologies and applications mature? The time to act is now. In order not to lose momentum, Greek policy makers and captains of industry need to work in tandem to improve their “AIQ” and reimagine an AI future for Greece. Policy makers must be prepared to address the challenges that go along with it. Namely, organizational, technological, political, ethical and social. To achieve this, policy makers shall gear their efforts and act towards the accomplishment of four goals: >> Accelerate Greece’s digital rotation >> Prepare the next Generation for an AI future >> Advocate a code of ethics for AI >> Address the redistribution effects and ensure inclusion Similarly to policy makers, the Greek captains of industry should move from simply discussing to actively addressing the opportunities that arise from the systematic application of AI technologies across their organizations. To reap the benefits of AI deployment, business leaders must begin to invest now, in order to enable this set of technologies to mature and evolve in sync with the accelerated pace of change. For this, they shall: >> Step beyond automation towards innovation and true growth >> Organizationally experiment and learn >> Take data “off the bench” and “into the game” >> Reimagine work and move from workforce planning to work planning >> “New-Skill” to collaborate with intelligent machines As economies compete on AI, Greece needs to “reinvent” itself to differentiate and stay in, if not ahead of the game. Reinvention, by nature, means to get into the game early. All else, is called following.7. 8 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 8 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.8. AI EXPLAINED 9 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 2. AI EXPLAINED AI EXPLAINED 9 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.9. 10 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. In a corner of an automotive assembly plant, a worker and robot are collaborating to build a transmission. The worker prepares a gear casing, while a robot arm, sensitive to and aware of its surroundings, picks up a twelve-pound gear. The worker moves on to their next task, while the robot precisely puts the gear inside the casing and turns away to pick another. It all feels as if robot and human are part of a well-choreographed Sci-Fi movie scene. But they are not. This happens now, in BMW plant in Dingolfing, Germany. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI)1 . Look around you. AI is no longer a futuristic notion. It is part of our lives. From using a virtual assistant to booking a meeting to Netflix and Spotify recommending movies or songs that we may like. AI is a reality. Beyond making our lives easier, AI “promises” to help up solve some of the world’s biggest challenges: from treating chronic diseases and reducing fatality rates in traffic accidents to fighting climate change or anticipating terrorist threats. These are some of the many examples of what AI can do. Countless more examples that cannot be imagined today will emerge over the next years. Everyone is talking about AI. From boardrooms to factory floors, from call centers to logistics fleets, and from governments to venture capitalists, AI is now the “hottest topic in town”. But is AI anything more than the latest technology buzzword? The answer is unequivocally yes. In fact, AI might just be one of the greatest technology revolutions the world has ever experienced. AI is what economists call a “general-purpose” technology. These technologies are a big deal. Think electricity and the internal combustion engine. Electricity made factory electrification, telegraphic communication and all that followed possible. The internal combustion engine gave rise to the automobile, the airplane and the modern transportation and logistics networks. AI is expected to impact economies and societies on a similar scale. Private investment in AI is booming. For the first nine months of 2017 AI-driven venture capital investment reached $7,6 billion2 (compared with $5,4 billion for the whole of 2016). The registration of AI patents is at an all-time high, five times the figure in 20063 . The number of active AI start- ups has increased by 1400 percent since 20004 and twenty-first-century pioneer companies are already using AI to innovate and pivot to the New. Countries, or entire economic blocks also seek to ensure their economies maximize the benefits from AI. In the past fifteen months, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Nordic-Baltic region, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, the UAE, the UK, Malta and the EU Commission have all released strategies to promote the use and development of AI5 . All evidence indicates that AI is here, and everyone must stand up and take notice. 2.1 INTRODUCTION 1. DPCCars, “BMW Factory Humans & Robots Work Together at Dingolfing Plant” YouTube Video 25:22 minutes, posted March 2, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm3Nyb2lCvs&t=152s 2. Faggella, D. (2017, August 24). Venture Investments in Artificial Intelligence - Trends in 2016 and Beyond. TechEmergence. https://www.techemergence.com/venture-investments-in-artificial-intelligence-trends/ 3. Hoffman, M. (2016). Artificial Intelligence Patents Growing Exponentially. Hoffman Warnick. http://hoffmanwarnick.com/artificial-intelligence-patents-growing-exponentially/ 4. https://news.stanford.edu/press-releases/2017/11/30/artificial-intels-emerging-field/ 5. An Overview of National AI Strategies, https://medium.com/politics-ai/an-overview-of-national-ai-strategies-2a70ec6edfd10. AI EXPLAINED 11 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.11. 12 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 2.2 SO, WHAT IS EXACTLY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? So, you’ve heard all about AI, and you know it is a big deal. But what is it exactly? Answering that question isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. In fact, there is no single accepted definition of “Artificial Intelligence”. That is because AI, as we know it, is not really a technology in its own right. In reality, it is a constellation of different technologies that can be brought together to enable machines to act with what appears to be human-like levels of intelligence. Rather than add to the growing list of attempts to describe AI, we prefer to think of this as a framework of capabilities. This is undoubtedly the best way to understand what AI is, and to get a sense of the technologies that underlie it. Our framework is centered around the principal capabilities of AI-enabled systems & solutions. These are to sense, comprehend, act and learn (see Figures 2.1 & 2.2).12. AI EXPLAINED 13 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. >> Sense: AI solutions are able to actively perceive the world around them by acquiring and processing images, sounds and speech, through the use of computer vision and audio processing technologies. Consider how a border-control kiosk uses computer vision technologies such as facial recognition to sense characteristics of travellers. Integrated with other technologies, an AI-enabled solution here can improve security by identifying people on unauthorized entry lists or others that may pose risk to the host country. >> Comprehend: AI solutions can understand the information they collect by recognizing patterns, through technologies such as natural language processing and knowledge representation. These technologies have a wide range of applications across multiple industries. For example, in the health industry, a medical diagnostic system can help doctors identify diseases and suggest treatments. The doctor can interact with the AI-enabled system by speaking or typing in a native language. The system can ask follow-up questions, take the facts of the case, draw from other relevant cases and infer a solution or a treatment. It can also present a conclusion or a suggestion to the doctor, who will use it as expert input into the final diagnosis and treatment plan. >> Act: AI solutions can take actions independently in the physical or digital world through technologies such as expert systems and inference engines. Consider the driverless cars, which sense the environment, understand the myriad inputs and then steer the wheels without any assistance from a human driver. >> Learn: A distinctive feature of all types of AI solutions is their ability to continuously optimize their capabilities based on experience, rather than require to have all the rules hard-coded. For decades, computers were able to process complex questions and give answers, but applications were rigid, and any change required programmatic modifications. Today, AI systems can be self-learning; they are more like bright students who are given educational material, and then can learn by themselves. For example, self-learning AI solutions are already in use by banks to detect credit fraud. The banks use machine learning models that understand previous spending patterns of a customer and predict the transactions a person may make, flagging unusual activity. These systems are also given real examples of fraudulent and legitimate transactions so that the models can learn to recognize new patterns and evolve as fraudsters alter their tactics.13. 14 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Figure 2.1. Emerging AI Technologies & Solutions AI TECHNOLOGIES ILLUSTRATIVE SOLUTIONS Identity Analytics Speech Analytics Recommendation Systems Virtual Agents Data Visualization Cognitive Robotics Sense Computer Vision Audio Processing Learn Comprehend Natural Language Processing Knowledge Representation Act Machine learning Expert Systems 14 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.14. AI EXPLAINED 15 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. AI Technologies Definition Computer Vision Acquiring, processing, analyzing and understanding images Audio Processing Identifying, recognizing and analyzing sounds and speech Natural Language Processing Processing, analyzing & generating language in spoken and/or written form Knowledge Representation Depicting & communicating knowledge to facilitate inference and decision making Machine Learning Using example data or experience to refine how computers make predictions or perform a task Expert Systems Emulating the decision-making ability of a human expert and solving complex problems by reasoning, with the information available in its knowledge database AI Solutions Definition Virtual Agents Autonomous online chatbots which act, directing their activity towards achieving goals, using observations through sensors and consequent actuators. Virtual agents may also learn or use knowledge to achieve their goals Identity Analytics Solutions that help define access to critical data and systems, based on information from authoritative systems Cognitive Robotics Robots endowed with intelligent behavior that enables them to learn and reason about how to behave, in response to complex goals in a complex world Speech Analytics Solutions that recognize speech patterns to identify emotions to improve communication, guide interactions and extract information Recommendation Systems Solutions that predict the «rating» or «preference» a user would give to an item. They are usually used for social-media marketing and content targeting Data Visualization Retrieval and manipulation of data, regardless of its format or where it is stored, in order to create and study its visual representation. To communicate information clearly and efficiently, data visualization uses statistical graphics, plots, information graphics and other tools Figure 2.2. The AI Decoder Ring AI EXPLAINED 15 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.15. 16 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.16. AI EXPLAINED 17 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. The race for companies, industries and societies as a whole to become global frontrunners in AI has officially begun. For countries that adopt AI, a future underpinned by accelerated growth becomes a visible target. In Greece, the recent anaemic growth and the low digital adoption rates6 set as an imperative the need to transform. AI is a key transformation accelerator and a “game-changer” that, we believe, deserves the country’s attention. Greece can no longer sit on the fence and wait to see how AI advances. Businesses and government alike must understand what AI is and find actionable ways to harness it. 2.3 CONCLUSION 6. As per Accenture's Digital Economic Opportunity Index (DEOI) (2017), https://www.slideshare.net/accenture/digital-greece-the-path-to-growth, European Union's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) (2018), https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/digital-economy-and-society-index-2018-report, and the World Economic Forum's Networked Readiness Index (NRI) (2016), http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GITR2016/WEF_GITR_Full_Report.pdf17. 18 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 18 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.18. THE GREEK AI PUBLIC SENTIMENT 19 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. 3. THE GREEK AI PUBLIC SENTIMENT THE GREEK AI PUBLIC SENTIMENT 19 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.19. 20 GREECE: WITH AN AI TO THE FUTURE Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. FutureRobots Digital Assistants Do not know Chatbots Science Fiction 30% Other 27% 23% 4% 12% 2% 2% What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the term Artificial Intelligence (AI)? AI is now entering our lives through digital home assistants, prototype autonomous vehicles and friendly-looking robots. AI represents potentially one of the most influential technologies ever developed. Does the Greek population share this opinion? How do we feel about AI? Do we agree more with Mark Zuckerberg (AI will be a benevolent force for good) or align with Elon Musk (AI will pose an existential threat to humanity)? How the Greek public feels about AI does matter. For us, the public dialog on AI must focus on humanity rather than purely on technology. 3.1 INTRODUCTION The Greek public recognize that AI is coming, but do they know what it is7 ? To get a sense of this, we started with a simple question: “What is the first think that comes to your mind when you hear the term AI?” AI appears to have entered the general public’s consciousness. Approximately two thirds (65 percent) of the public surveyed first think of AI applications like robots, digital assistants and chatbots. At the same time, only 4 percent relate AI to Science Fiction and Hollywood movies, and 2 percent admit they know nothing about it. It seems that the Greeks recognize that AI is real (see Figure 3.1). 3.2 AI ENTERS THE PUBLIC’S CONSCIOUSNESS Figure 3.1. Greeks’ perception of Artificial Intelligence, (%) 7. The analysis is based on data recorded through the AI Questionnaire for the Greek Public, executed by Focus Bari Market Research SA from January 16, 2019 to February 1, 2019.20. THE GREEK AI PUBLIC SENTIMENT 21 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Much is made of the positive and potential negative impact that AI can exert on our lives. AI has the potential to help tackle some of the world’s most challenging social problems, from diagnosing cancer to helping blind people navigate their surroundings. From identifying victims of online sexual exploitation, to aiding disaster-relief efforts. At the same time, AI being used for illegal activities, or AI robots overtaking the world, is often quoted in the popular press, as images of a dystopian future that lies ahead. When measuring the overall sentiment towards the implementation of AI applications in Greece, our analysis exposes a critical paradox. The prospect of an AI-led future both excites and concerns Greeks. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty and the unfamiliarity with these new technologies, makes the majority of the respondents feel confused, unsure or concerned, about what an AI future might entail for their personal lives (see Figure 3.2). However, no matter the high levels of concern, Greeks also exhibit an optimistic view for AI’s potential contribution to society. 1 out of 2 (56 percent) of the respondents believe that society will overall benefit from AI applications (see Figure 3.3). Figure 3.2. Sentiment of the Greek public towards an AI future, (%), (multiple answers) Figure 3.3. The perspective of the Greek public on how society will change due to AI implementation, (%) 3.3 PROSPECTS OF AN AI FUTURE - FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE? THE AI PARADOX 3 17% Neutral 43% Concerned 8% Confused 29% Optimistic 20% Unsure 17% Excited The prospect of an AI future makes Greeks feel... Much better Worse Much worse Better Will not change 9% 47% 11% 27% 6% Due to AI implementation, people believe that society will become Freegr network blog- News about pc, technology.
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