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Professor Yannis Ioannidis, President of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) the world’s largest association of computer science professionals and former President of the Athena Research Center, discusses his journey from Constantinople to the forefront of the international scientific community in a candid interview with Kathimerini and journalist Tasoula Karaiskaki.

 

After fifteen years in the United States, including eleven years of teaching there, he notes that “what can be measured is often better abroad, but what cannot be measured is better in Greece.” Having been based in Greece for over twenty years now, he continues to play an active role in cutting-edge initiatives, combining a vision for excellence with a passion for scientific collaboration and open knowledge.

 

In the interview, he emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinarity and ethical technology at a time when Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing are radically transforming the world. As head of the ACM, he works to shape global policies that promote the positive use of AI while excluding applications that could pose a threat. “Technology today needs the contribution of the humanities more than ever”, he stresses, calling for synergies between science, art, philosophy, and society.

 

Referring to his work at Athena and the University of Athens (NKUA), Prof. Ioannidis describes a team operating along four key axes: sustainability, open science, health, and interactive digital storytelling. The latter, he notes, combines technology and art to convey knowledge in an experiential way, making the visitor “part of the story.”

 

His work embodies the spirit of Athena one that unites science, culture, and innovation, with the human being and the common good at its core.

 

Read the full, fascinating interview with Prof. Ioannidis here.