Greece Emerges as AI Innovation Hub in Southern Europe

The Southern European region is entering a crucial phase in its artificial intelligence journey, where building human capital will be more important than access to the latest AI models. Microsoft Vice President for Southern Europe Charles Calestroupat says Greece is poised to become an innovation hub due to public digital initiatives and growing cloud investments.

Calestroupat oversees 17 markets across the region and sees Greece as 'more than a market; I see it as an innovation hub.' He notes that the country ranks first in Europe for Gen Z's use of AI, with 67% of executives familiar with advanced AI tools compared to just 40% of employees.

The Microsoft VP outlined a three-phase model for organizations to create value from AI: task assistance, end-to-end agent deployment, and managing teams of autonomous digital assistants. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing data governance, security, and privacy compliance, as well as creating cultures that accelerate learning and experimentation.