Public consultation launched on updated national AI strategy

The government has launched a public consultation on its updated national strategy for artificial intelligence (AI).

“This [strategy] will work hand in hand with the Malta Vision 2050, which pushes forward social inclusion and economic progress that benefits everyone,” Prime Minister Robert Abela said at a Cabinet meeting during Techxpo at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali.

He highlighted that the strategy presents updated measures so that the AI sector is not only linked to the economic aspect but also serves to continue to strengthen the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan families.

Abela said that Malta has a track record, along with the investment and the will to continue forward into a new prosperity that provides a future for our children. The prime minister explained how the country was already proactive when, “seven years ago, it was one of the first countries in the European Union to launch a national AI strategy. Five years before the closure of this strategy, the country had already implemented 80% of it.”

He explained that AI should be a tool for everyone and that in a tangible way makes a difference in people’s lives.

“In the Budget we presented, we put forward a vision of AI for all, to provide the necessary skills for everyone to succeed”, said the prime minister, noting the €100 million AI fund and other measures announced by the government in the Budget for 2026 in favour of digital transformation.

During the meeting, Abela addressed professionals and people from the fields of digital economy and artificial intelligence, where he stressed that Malta must become the most AI-friendly country in Europe, explaining that AI is not there to take people’s jobs but to improve workers’ operations and create quality careers with better working conditions.

He pointed out that we want the positive from technology while rejecting the negative. “Our children must remain children with a free and creative mind. We are a progressive government that believes in the potential of technology and where everyone has the same opportunities to achieve their aspirations,” he said.

The prime minister explained that our country now has a solid economic base to continue to grow the success of these new economic niches and create more wealth. He referred to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which shows that the rate of businesses in Malta using AI exceeds the European Union average.

He pointed out that international experts, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), agree that Malta is in a good position to benefit from the development of AI and how our country can develop AI effectively and exploit the advantages it offers.

“Technology and AI provide Malta with an opportunity to continue to sustain the economic growth it has registered in recent years, with less intensive land use and without the need for many new workers,” he concluded.