At the beginning of the year, Serbia adopted a new Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence for the period from 2025 to 2030. The global AI market is already valued at over $184 billion, and projections show it will reach $826 billion by 2030.
According to a report by the European Commission, artificial intelligence is expected to automate 14% of jobs, with another 32% of occupations undergoing significant transformation. In discussing the new strategy, Dubravko Ćulibrk, the director of the Research and Development Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia, told Euronews Serbia that “not much progress has been made” compared to the previous strategy, considering the rapid advancements in AI technology.
“We’re still early in this field, and we were the 26th country to adopt a strategy, which is important because it helps us focus our resources on development. A lot has changed in the last five years in AI, especially with the emergence of tools like ChatGPT three years ago, which really transformed the landscape. Through the first strategy, we identified our strengths and weaknesses and gained a better understanding of the direction we need to focus on,” Ćulibrk explained.
Professions most impacted by AI
When asked about which professions will be most affected by AI, Ćulibrk pointed out that jobs involving administrative tasks will be highly impacted due to the advancement of language models. He noted that this transformation could be positive, as the aging population in Serbia creates a need for AI to fill gaps in the workforce.
“The AI can help automate administrative work, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because we have a shortage of people in these roles. It means people will be able to perform more work more efficiently,” he added.
However, he also singled out programmers and customer support workers as the professions most vulnerable to AI displacement.
Serbia’s position in Eastern Europe
When comparing Serbia’s AI development to other countries in Eastern Europe, Ćulibrk stated that Serbia is above average, but still faces significant challenges. According to the AI Readiness Index by Oxford, Serbia ranks 57th out of 188 countries evaluated, which he deemed disappointing. In the region, Serbia is ahead of only Hungary and Bulgaria in terms of AI development.
Investment in education and resources
To make further progress, Ćulibrk emphasized the importance of investment in education and infrastructure. “I believe that any societal change, including advancements in AI, can only be made through education. We need to ensure that society is prepared for these changes,” he stated. “Computer resources are also essential for developing AI models. We are investing in those areas, and we plan to expand our educational programs as well. The development of our research institute, which only has three employees at the moment, is another key priority. This institute wouldn’t even exist if we hadn’t had the first strategy,” he concluded.
Ultimately, the success of Serbia’s AI development will depend on the implementation of the action plan and the country’s readiness to invest in its future.
