Tsahkna: Artificial intelligence is both a strategic challenge and an opportunity

TALLINN - In his opening speech on the second day of the international Tallinn Digital Summit (TDS) on Friday, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that artificial intelligence represents both a strategic challenge and an opportunity.

According to Tsahkna, artificial intelligence has evolved into a field of strategic importance. "We are already witnessing how authoritarian regimes use artificial intelligence and automated digital solutions to polarize society, spread disinformation, violate people's privacy and security, and orchestrate hybrid attacks, thereby threatening global security," he said.

"The link between digital and cyber technologies and warfare is especially evident in Ukraine, where Russia's cyberattacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure constitute a significant part of their brutal war machine. It is therefore crucial that support for Ukraine also encompasses the cyber domain," Tsahkna stated. He added that this is precisely why Estonia, along with its allies, launched the Tallinn Mechanism in 2023, which aims to consolidate donor cyber support to protect Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence, its transparency, responsible governance, and trustworthiness must be guaranteed. "The governance of AI must be based on the principles of international law, human rights, and democracy, ensuring people's security and privacy. All violations committed in cyberspace must be met with punishments equivalent to those in the physical world," Tsahkna said. "Regulating artificial intelligence must be a joint effort by democratic nations, involving representatives from both the public and private sectors to establish the most inclusive and comprehensive governance framework."

The Foreign Minister highlighted that over the past 30 years, Estonia has emerged as a global leader in digital innovation, with extensive experience in building and implementing a reliable and transparent system of digital governance. He also affirmed Estonia's readiness to actively participate in shaping the international governance framework for artificial intelligence.

"Digital solutions must serve the citizens," Tsahkna stressed. "As we see great potential in the application of AI, we have set a national goal to integrate artificial intelligence into public services and to enhance the public's awareness and skills in using it. We are always prepared to share our e-Estonia experience and expertise in implementing artificial intelligence with our international partners."

The TDS brings together politicians, technology experts, opinion leaders, and entrepreneurs to discuss the most pressing topics in the digital and cyber world. The 2025 conference will be the eighth edition of the summit. Participants include approximately 250 VIP guests and up to 1,000 industry experts from across the globe.

This year's TDS is being held in parallel with a high-level meeting of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC). In 2025, Estonia will also assume the chairmanship of the FOC, focusing on sharing its e-Estonia experience and bridging the global digital divide. Estonia is a staunch advocate for freedom of speech in cyberspace and supports widespread, unrestricted access to the internet.