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With a large audience attendance and strong scientific interest, the conference entitled “Artificial Intelligence” was held on Friday, 15 May, at the Academy of Athens, as part of the commemorative series of events marking one hundred years of the Academy’s institutional presence.

 

The event brought together leading Greek and internationally renowned scientists and academics from diverse fields, highlighting the many dimensions of Artificial Intelligence and the challenges it poses for both science and society.

A particularly notable contribution came from the “Archimedes” Research Unit of the Athena Research Center, one of the country’s most dynamic research hubs in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and algorithmic sciences. The Unit was founded by Christos Papadimitriou, Timos Sellis, and Constantinos Daskalakis with the aim of establishing a world-class international research center in Greece.

 

The keynote speaker of the conference was Academician Christos Papadimitriou, Professor at Columbia University and Lead Researcher of the Archimedes Research Unit at the Athena Research Center. In his presentation, entitled “What Artificial Intelligence Is - and What It Is Not,” he sought to clarify both the real capabilities of AI and the misconceptions that currently surround it. Papadimitriou placed particular emphasis on the relationship between algorithms, knowledge, and human creativity.

 

The first panel discussion, titled “The Challenges of AI”, was moderated by Ion Androutsopoulos, Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business and collaborating faculty member of the Athena Research Center. The panel featured Maria Vakalopoulou, Professor at Paris-Saclay University; Costis Daskalakis, Professor at MIT; Yannis M. Ioannidis, Professor at Tufts University and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens; and Maria Karamanof, former Vice President of the Council of State and President of the Chamber of Environment and Sustainability.

 

The discussion highlighted critical issues concerning the reliability of Artificial Intelligence systems, data transparency, the functioning of algorithms, and the ways in which AI is already influencing research, industry, and many aspects of everyday life.

 

Particularly engaging were the demonstrations of AI applications presented by doctoral researchers from the Archimedes Research Unit, which provided attendees with the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research applications currently being developed in Greece.

 

The connection between Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems was also highlighted through initiatives such as HERON, the first Greek Center of Excellence in Robotics, founded and supported by the Athena Research Center. This initiative further confirms the Center’s leading role in the development of advanced technologies.

 

The second part of the conference focused on the ethical and philosophical implications of Artificial Intelligence. It featured a keynote address by Academician Pavlos Sourlas, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy of Law, followed by a discussion on the impact of AI on scientific knowledge, decision-making, and human values. The second panel also included Eugenia Mylonaki, Assistant Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Voula Tsinorema, Emeritus Professor at the University of Crete; Academician Manolis Floratos; and Academician Georgios Chrousos

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The conference clearly demonstrated that Artificial Intelligence is no longer merely a specialized technological field; it has become a transformative force that is already reshaping the way knowledge is produced, shared, and applied.