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The Greeks in AI 2025 symposium took place on July 19–20, 2025, at the Serafio Cultural Center of the City of Athens and emerged as one of the most significant events of the year for the Greek Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning community. This annual gathering aspires to become a reference point, bringing together researchers, students, and professionals from Greece and abroad, with the aim of fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the promotion of new talent.

This year’s symposium was co-organized with the Archimedes Unit of the Athena Research Center, underscoring the Center’s active role in strengthening the Greek AI ecosystem. Through its participation, the Archimedes Unit highlighted its mission of bridging research with industry, promoting innovation, and creating new opportunities for the Greek scientific community.

Through this symposium, the aim is to position Greece as a hub for AI excellence and to strengthen its role in the global AI landscape.

The program featured keynote speeches by distinguished international scientists.

 

During the first day of the Symposium, keynote lectures were delivered by Katerina Fragkiadaki, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Maarten de Rijke, Professor at the University of Amsterdam, and Margarita Chli, Professor at the University of Cyprus and Director of the Vision for Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich. Their talks highlighted cutting-edge topics ranging from data-driven world simulation models and information retrieval through genetic methods, to visual perception in robotic systems. These presentations inspired both early-career and senior researchers, showcasing the diversity and breadth of today’s challenges in Artificial Intelligence.

 

A highlight of the first day was the panel “Greek AI Ecosystem: Strategy and Vision”, moderated by Professor Timos Sellis, Head of the Archimedes Unit at the Athena Research Center. The panel featured Yannis Ioannidis, Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and former President of the Athena Research Center, Maarten de Rijke, Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Scientific Director at the Innovation Center for AI, Stefanos Kollias, Emeritus Professor and President of the GRNET, George J. Pappas, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Nikos Paragios, Professor at the University Paris-Saclay. The discussion highlighted the strategic perspectives and growth opportunities, as well as the challenges Greece must address in order to fully leverage its scientific potential.

 

On the second day, keynote speeches were delivered by Petros Maragos, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens, Director of the Institute of Robotics of the Athena Research Center, and Director & Scientific Coordinator of the Robotics Center of Excellence HERON; Andreas Tolias, Professor at Stanford University; Manolis Kellis, Professor at MIT and member of the Broad Institute; Alex Dimakis, Professor at UC Berkeley and affiliated faculty at the Archimedes Unit; Evan Kotsovinos, Vice President and General Manager at Google; Lazaros Polymenakos, Partner at EY Greece; and Cláudio Rodrigues, Chief Product Officer at Omilia. Their talks highlighted crucial dimensions of Artificial Intelligence: from perception and learning in robotic systems and foundation models for the human brain, to cognitive mapping and innovation in industrial and entrepreneurial environments. The discussions also emphasized critical issues such as privacy, security, and the responsible use of AI. The second day’s themes underlined the importance of bridging cutting-edge research with real-world applications, showcasing the contributions of both academia and industry.

 

On the second day, the “Industry & Innovation” panel, moderated by Iasonas Kokkinos, Associate Professor at University College London, brought together leading industry executives: Maria Leontiou, Head of Eurobank Next - Digital Growth & Future Competitiveness at Eurobank, Konstantinos Papakonstantinou, Head of AI at Kaizen Gaming, Claudio Rodrigues, Chief Product Officer at Omilia, Nikos Souzas, Data & AI Managing Director at Accenture, Vangelis Vergetis, Chief Executive Officer at Epicast, and Elias Vyzas, Head of Consulting at EY Greece / CESA Data, Analytics & AI Leader. The panel highlighted how Artificial Intelligence is transforming key sectors of the Greek economy, with a focus on innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth opportunities.

 

In addition to keynote talks and panels, parallel activities such as startup presentations, mentoring sessions, and poster sessions enriched the symposium. These interactive components offered young researchers the opportunity to receive feedback, connect with mentors, and showcase their work.

 

Greeks in AI 2025 demonstrated that Greece has both the scientific foundation and the talent to play a leading role in the global Artificial Intelligence arena. The contribution of the Archimedes Unit of the Athena Research Center was decisive, strengthening the connection between research and applications and highlighting the importance of collaboration for the advancement of the ecosystem.