AI Must Learn to Speak Fluent Greek, Official Urges

As the development of artificial intelligence applications progresses rapidly, there’s a keen focus on its potential. However, if users are not fluent in English, smart devices might fail to recognize their voice commands. Additionally, translating texts into Greek using large language models often results in awkward structures derived from English, making interpretation challenging for users.

Addressing this issue, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou emphasizes the urgent need for a Greek language model: “Creating AI tools that can fully ‘speak’ and ‘understand’ Greek is crucial. This will pave the way for AI applications that benefit citizens. It is, however, a complex undertaking.” The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the ministry, the National Technical University of Athens, and research institutes including Demokritos, Athena, and the National Technology and Research Infrastructure Network.