The vision of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia is to become a global centre of excellence in scientific research and the transfer of technology in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning in our country. The Institute also strives to cultivate innovative leaders in the field of AI – Dubravko Ćulibrk
Since its inception, the Institute has been focused on developing a culture and regulatory framework that stimulates innovation and technology transfer. The intellectual property regulations of this youngest accredited Serbian institute have served as a model for numerous institutes participating in the Innovation Acceleration and Entrepreneurship Growth Project in the Republic of Serbia. This project represents a unique attempt to reform the scientific research community, and the Institute actively participates in these efforts. Collaboration with the Intellectual Property Office enables the education and skill development of researchers, as well as the enhancement of the Office’s activities in the field of artificial intelligence. At the level of individual projects and technologies, the Institute leads the way in patent protection, the responsible and ethical use of data for AI model development, certification of AI-enabled medical devices, and other innovative processes.
“Each project is significant in its own way and changes the environment in which we work, but, in my opinion, the greatest long-term impact on the economy will come from the professionals educated at the Institute – whether as founders of their own companies or as leaders in large corporations,” emphasises the Director of IVI.
Serbia strives to become a regional hub for research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. What are the key factors for attracting foreign investment in this field, and how does the Institute collaborate with the private sector and government institutions in this process?
— Just before the founding of the Institute, it became clear that there were already opportunities for foreign investments, mostly initiated by the involvement of people of Serbian origin in the diaspora. However, our ecosystem had limited capacity to support AI development, primarily due to the lack of sufficiently experienced and educated experts capable of leading the development of AI-based products. This was one of the primary motives for establishing the Institute.
The institute actively participates in the reform of the scientific research community in Serbia through innovation, technology transfer, and the improvement of the legal framework for intellectual property
The key factors for attracting foreign investments are talent development (education), recognisability, and the quality of scientific results and products coming from our ecosystem. The latter two factors not only demonstrate the capacity of our research community but are also the best form of promotion.
Automation and the application of artificial intelligence inevitably affect the labour market. How does the Institute view the future of the workforce in Serbia, and what steps are being taken to help develop the necessary skills and adapt the education system to the new demands of the market?
— The Institute is not an educational institution, but it serves as a repository of knowledge, which we transfer to other institutions and colleagues, mainly through workshops, participation in conferences, and similar events. Our collaboration with the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute allows us to offer their courses, which require significant computing resources, but which NVIDIA donates to us. Furthermore, some of the Institute’s researchers, including myself, participate in teaching at universities in Serbia. However, our primary role is the development of highly skilled personnel through practical work on research projects. When we speak of the future workforce, the focus of AI application in the areas we work in is on sectors where there is a labour shortage and on technologies that help people be more efficient rather than replacing them. At this moment, AI in Serbia is primarily contributing to increased productivity and the creation of new jobs. However, it is certain that a certain number of people will need to retrain, while many will need to further educatve themselves in the field of using AI technologies.
The recent partnership with Google DeepMind and the organisation of EEML 2024 represents a significant step for Serbia. How can such collaborations contribute to enhancing the knowledge and research capabilities of our students and researchers?
— The significance of such events is practically impossible to measure, as their impact will extend for decades into the future. EEML was attended by participants from 47 countries, mostly young researchers who have established lasting connections with our young collaborators. They had the opportunity to learn about the latest issues and solutions in the field of AI from world-class researchers, including the closest collaborators of two of the three winners of the Turing Award for deep learning technology – the foundation of virtually all modern AI systems. During the six-day summer school, young researchers from Serbia and the region became part of the global scientific community and gained an advantage in knowledge development compared to any individual educational institution in the world, as they learned from lecturers from Oxford, Cambridge, New York University, Harvard, EPFL, ETH, and other prestigious institutions. Unfortunately, we do not expect EEML to return to Serbia soon, but we continue close cooperation with the organisers, meaning that our researchers will have the opportunity to participate in this event every year, regardless of the location.
In Serbia, there are organisations like the Serbian AI Society and Serbian Researchers, designed as bridges between domestic and international scientists. How can such platforms contribute to the global recognition of the Serbian scientific community?
— The most important contribution of these organisations lies in connecting our researchers worldwide. This global community represents a significant potential that has yet to be fully exploited. Although the direct impact of these organisations on the global recognisability of the Serbian scientific community is not decisive, they certainly encourage collaboration between domestic and international researchers. However, for international recognisability, the key factors are the quality of scientific publications and participation in leading global conferences. Organisations like SAIS and Serbian Researchers help connect young talents from Serbia with our successful researchers abroad, enabling them to work on globally relevant projects and prepare for publication in the most prestigious scientific journals and conferences.