Government launched the Eesti.ai initiative together with leading entrepreneurs

The Eesti.ai initiative is a nationally managed programme developed in cooperation with international experts and companies, aimed at systematically implementing artificial intelligence in all sectors and developing Estonian AI solutions, primarily in the fields of industry, education, healthcare, energy, the environment, and security.

According to Prime Minister Kristen Michal, the need for the initiative is driven by both the rapid development of artificial intelligence and competition in the global economy. "The development of artificial intelligence is accelerating and competition in the global economy is growing, so Estonia as a digital state has a huge advantage here. Through cooperation between the public and private sectors and the smart use of data, we can develop new and effective artificial intelligence applications and capabilities that other countries are unable to achieve, and put them to work for the benefit of our economy," said the prime minister. "With AI, we can do more work with a higher added value with fewer people and essentially double the value of Estonian people's work by 2035." The initiative provides an opportunity to grow Estonia's economy by 25 per cent in five years and 50 per cent in ten years, which means an additional €20 billion in growth by 2035.

The Eesti.ai initiative will be led by an international council of entrepreneurs and experts reporting to the prime minister. According to council member and entrepreneur Sten Tamkivi, the goal for the coming months is to finalise the exact content of the programme and its funding requirements. "In the coming months, we will clarify with the council the scope and activities of the programme. The aim is to focus on a small number of important and high-impact projects so that something significant can already be achieved in the next 18 months," said Tamkivi.

The new AI initiative will amplify existing Estonian AI projects, such as the AI Leap initiated by the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Education and Research, the public sector AI applications of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, and the drone programme of the Government Office.

In the Government Office, the new initiative will be led by Kirke Maar, head of the AI working group, who has worked as head of strategy and international cooperation at TalTech and as head of AIRE.

In addition to its chairman Markus Villig, the members of the Eesti.ai council include representatives and experts from the Estonian and international start-up sector, venture capital funds, technology companies, industrial enterprises, and research institutions. Estonian entrepreneurs participating in the initiative include Taavi Madiberk, Sten Tamkivi, Linnar Viik, and Kaspar Korjus. The second meeting of the council will take place in April this year.

Further information on the website of the Government Office: eesti.ai

Government Communication Unit