Over the last 15 years, both personal and professional life have been unimaginable without (high-speed) internet and smartphones. We are currently at the beginning of a new technological leap that will impact the way we live and conduct business – Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is rapidly transforming the way companies and governments operate. AI is considered fundamental to the digital transformation of society and has become an EU priority.

The economic potentials of AI are enormous, as numerous studies emphasize, and it's crucial for Croatia to recognize these potentials in a timely manner. AI presents a significant opportunity for Croatia to achieve robust economic growth and make a substantial leap forward in a short period.

In this position paper, AmCham presents a series of concrete recomendations which will help create an environment which will accelarate AI adoption in Croatia. These include increasing public awareness of AI through public awareness campaigns, adopting AI in public administration, transforming the educational system to keep pace with rapid technological developments and promoting lifelong learning and labor market mobility.

The backbone of AI adoption and development is the available IT infrastructure and one of the recommendations focuses on incentivizing further infrastructure development. In order to support the private sector innovation, introduction of R&D subsidies and enhanced utilization of EU funds are envisaged. Finally, to create an environment supportive of AI development and adoption, the adoption of the National Plan for the Development of AI is recommended together with developing regulatory sandboxes and actively engaging in future EU-level discussions on shaping AI policy.

AI isn’t just a tool - it’s a catalyst for a smarter, faster, and more capable future, a future where intelligence works alongside us, amplifying what humanity does best. The sooner we harness its power, the sooner we redefine what’s possible.

AmCham's position paper is available here.