Germany is looking to artificial intelligence “made in Europe” to speed up its notoriously slow bureaucracy.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said AI technology had “great potential” in the country as it tries to position itself as a leader in the field.
The founder of Aleph Alpha, a European rival to ChatGPT, was among AI bosses invited to a cabinet away-day on Tuesday.
They held talks on using AI to help digitise a German government machine where paper, pens and fax machines are still prevalent.
AI could bring a “great transformation” in the way Germany uses digital tools, said Mr Scholz.
He said the government’s goal was to “make these advances usable for our country – that goes for digitisation but also for AI in general”.
The German AI Association, an industry body, urged the government on Tuesday to adopt a “new mindset” amid what it called a “standstill in digital policy”.
Aleph Alpha has been signed up to an “AI park” in western Germany that is envisaged as a home of German start-ups.
The German company touts its “sovereign, European AI technology” as compliant with strict EU data regulations.
It also claims its model can check its output against “verified facts” – addressing the fact that AI bots such as the American ChatGPT sometimes make factual blunders.
Germany’s aim is to “bring our European values” into the growth of AI, a government spokesman said. The health system is also slated for an AI revamp.
A foundation belonging to Dieter Schwarz, the founder of supermarket chain Lidl, has put €50 million ($54 million) into the AI park.
“Many of the researchers, also many of the start-ups that are active in this area come from our country,” said Mr Scholz, who has spoken of bringing a “new German speed” to government policy.
Ministers have promised a “digital decade” in which health records are digitised, half the households are connected to fibre-optic internet and people can use a virtual ID to access government services.
Britain also has ambitions to be an AI leader. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to host a November summit on the issue at Bletchley Park, known for its role in code breaking during the Second World War.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
