Minister Andonovski calls for equitable AI access at Seoul summit

Stefan Andonovski, North Macedonia’s Minister of Digital Transformation, addressed the Ministerial Meeting at the Global AI Summit in Seoul, South Korea. He advocated for governments to ensure a basic level of free access to artificial intelligence tools, specifically within education, skill development, and public services.

Andonovski warned of a growing divide between wealthy nations and developing economies, as well as between citizens of different income levels. He noted that while talent exists globally, access to AI computing power and advanced tools is unequal. To mitigate this, he suggested mechanisms such as shared computing resources, regional approaches, and national development programs.

During the summit, the Minister highlighted ‘Vezilka’, a Macedonian gateway connected to European AI factories. This initiative allows companies and public institutions to connect with European supercomputing resources, supporting the development of practical solutions and the creation of language models and datasets in the Macedonian language. He also emphasized data sovereignty, stressing the need for states to develop their own digital solutions and protect citizen information.