Establish detailed action plans for public service development strategies through the introduction of AI
Plan to reflect in Serbian population reduction policy through big data-based population movement AI algorithm
Serbian AI National Development Strategy 2020-2025
Yoo Jeong-won, Director of Korea-Serbia Digital Government Cooperation Center
The Serbian government announced 'The Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2021-2020' in December 2025. This AI national development strategy aims to develop the economy, improve public services, advance science and technology, and improve future jobs through the introduction of AI. Around the world, 30 countries have announced AI strategies and are promoting them as policies, and Western European countries in particular can be said to be leading countries in the field of AI. However, no country has yet announced an AI national development strategy in Eastern Europe, and Serbia hopes to become an AI leading country in Eastern Europe.
AI in Serbia
As an international indicator that explains the current status of AI countries, the 'Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index' jointly announced by Oxford University and the International Development Research Center is often cited. The index consists of 11 indicators and four groups: Governance, Infrastructure, Data, Technology & Education and Public Services. According to this index, Serbia is ranked 4th out of 194 countries. The highest ranked country in Eastern Europe is Slovenia, with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania slightly above Serbia. Also North Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia rank below Serbia.
Prerequisites for the Serbian AI Development Strategy
The Serbian AI National Development Strategy 2020-2025 mentions three essential prerequisites for successful AI policy promotion. The first is the legal regulatory framework. In order to utilize AI, there is no choice but to utilize a huge amount of data including personal information, and the overhaul of the overall legal/regulatory framework, including regulations for this and regulations on information disclosure by institutions holding each information, must be prioritized. It is mentioned that In addition, it was judged that it is necessary to legislate the introduction of AI in the procurement process of each government and public institution to contribute to the development and innovation of AI technology by venture companies and SMEs in order to have a significant impact on the development of AI.
The second is data openness. Data is the most fundamental element of AI. The Serbian government is also promoting data openness to promote successful AI policies. In 2015, the law/system for data openness of public institutions was announced, an Open Data working group was formed in collaboration with UNDP (United Nations Development Program), and the Serbian Open Data Portal was established in 2017. Currently, 45 datasets and 241 files are open to 1834 public institutions. However, despite the government's data open policy, it is still difficult to say that satisfactory data has been opened.
Third is infrastructure. AI solutions require a platform built on high-performance computers. The Office of Information Technology and e-government (ITE) under the Serbian Prime Minister's Office built a data center in 2017 and also built a cloud-based backup data center in 2021. Based on this, ITE plans to provide AI platforms to national and public research institutes, science and technology clusters, public institutions and even private companies.
5 Serbian AI Development Strategies
Through the AI National Development Strategy 2020-2025, the Serbian government announced five goals.
① Development of education that meets the needs of modern society and economy based on the development of artificial intelligence (AI)
Based on the development of artificial intelligence, with the goal of developing education that meets the needs of modern society and economy, the Serbian government plans to develop and distribute an AI curriculum suitable for middle school and high school curriculum and apply it to actual classes. Detailed tasks include the development of office automation, data analysis, and AI program-applied curriculum and the strengthening of teachers' capacity to teach them. In addition, it is planning to expand graduate-centered AI education programs and strengthen AI academic exchanges between universities in university courses.
② Development and realization of science and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI)
For the development and implementation of science and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), it is important for the Serbian government to strengthen support for AI research, especially strengthening exchanges and cooperation with world-renowned AI research centers and universities. It plans to invest 2022 million euros in 500 and 2025 million euros in 600 in AI research and development (R&D). In addition, it plans to establish an AI foundation along with the establishment of a scientific research collaboration center for innovative collaboration between the public and private sectors in the AI field.
③ Economic development based on artificial intelligence (AI)
In the economic development strategy based on artificial intelligence (AI), the basic goal is to support start-up venture companies and SMEs in the field of AI. In addition, it plans to improve the level of investment in the AI field, such as the development of new products and solutions applied with AI. In addition, it plans to introduce a 'Regulatory Sandbox' for testing AI-based solutions.
④ Development and realization of public services through artificial intelligence (AI) implementation
The strategy for the development of public services through the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) begins with the establishment of the AI Council, and strongly promotes the data open policy in the public sector that can be used and developed AI. AI-related datasets registered in the national public data open portal plans to expand to 2022 by 2022 and 150 by 2025. It also includes building an AI infrastructure and platform to strengthen the use of AI in the public service sector. Above all, the most important thing is the development and dissemination of public services using AI. It plans to develop three services in 1000 and expand AI-based public services to 2022 by 3.
⑤ Ethical and safe application of artificial intelligence (AI)
The strategy for the ethical and safe application of artificial intelligence (AI) includes personal information protection in the field of AI, prohibition of discrimination in AI implementation, responsible development of AI that meets international ethical standards, and development of guidelines for safe use of AI. do.
The role of Korea-Serbia Digital Government Cooperation Center in Serbia AI Strategy
For the specific implementation of the Serbia AI National Development Strategy 2020-2025, the Korea-Serbia Digital Government Cooperation Center established a detailed Action Plan for the public service development strategy through the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). This AI project is supervised by the Prime Minister's Office of Serbia and operates a working group involving the World Bank, UNDP, ITE, and private IT companies to include detailed plans for the introduction of AI in Serbian public services such as energy, transportation, and health care.
By the end of 2022, the Korea-Serbia Digital Government Cooperation Center will analyze and apply leading and successful cases, including the introduction of public service AI in Korea and the EU, to materialize the Serbian AI national development strategy and develop an AI-based AI-based Public services were developed, and as a 2023 Korea-Serbia Digital Government Cooperation Center task, population movement data, which is the basis of population reduction policies, was collected in real time, and a big data-based population movement AI algorithm was developed to reflect it in Serbia’s population reduction policy. plan.
In addition, it plans to dispatch Korean AI experts to the Serbian National Academy to provide AI training to Serbian public officials. This is a good opportunity for Serbian citizens and public officials to experience and reflect Korea's excellent big data solutions and AI algorithms in their policies by disseminating them to Serbia.
※ Please note that this manuscript is information prepared by an external expert and is not the official opinion of KOTRA.