Portugal advances Amalia AI development with new funding

The Portuguese government has approved the second phase of development for Amalia, an open large-scale multimodal artificial intelligence model designed to support the country's Public Administration. This new phase, running through the second half of 2026, includes an additional investment of 1.8 million euros, part of a larger project totaling approximately seven million euros funded largely by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

Developed by a consortium of public universities and coordinated by the Foundation for Science and Technology and the Agency for State Technological Reform (ARTE), Amalia aims to improve administrative efficiency, promote scientific development in AI, and safeguard digital sovereignty and the Portuguese language. The system is intended to assist in public service interactions and improve interoperability between different government systems.

Despite the strategic goals, the project faces scrutiny. Critics and political figures have raised concerns regarding the practical utility and accuracy of the model, noting instances of factual errors. Experts also emphasize that successful integration requires significant investment in human resource training and data literacy to ensure the technology effectively addresses existing systemic inefficiencies.