“We’re already fighting yesterday’s battle”: Greece’s prime minister gets candid about AI
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited San Francisco to promote Greece as an emerging tech hub and attract investment ahead of its expected upgrade to developed market status. During the trip, he highlighted Greece's strong economic recovery, noting that the country borrows more cheaply than the United States and has invested EU funds into digital infrastructure and a new supercomputer. Mitsotakis also discussed policy reforms aimed at retaining talent, including tax incentives for returning Greeks and changes to labor laws. However, the conversation shifted to his candid concerns about artificial intelligence, where he admitted lacking definitive answers for global leaders. He expressed worry that regulations like social media bans for minors may already be outdated due to the rise of addictive AI chatbots. Mitsotakis warned that job displacement is inevitable and agreed with frontier lab leaders that AI development should slow down until its implications are better understood. Despite this caution, he noted that Greece welcomes data center investments without significant public opposition. The Prime Minister concluded by suggesting Athens could host critical philosophical discussions on humanity's relationship with rapidly advancing intelligence.
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