Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept confined to laboratories or theoretical policy debates. Across the world, nations are investing heavily in AI not only to boost economic growth but also to secure strategic advantage. From compute infrastructure to data governance, from talent retention to public sector modernization, AI is reshaping the levers of national power.
It has now been one year since Greece published its Blueprint for AI Transformation, and the timing is significant. A year is long enough to see initial planning and awareness, but short enough that decisive action can still shape the trajectory of the country’s AI development. This piece is written to assess where the Blueprint has positioned Greece, to critically examine the gaps and opportunities that have emerged in the past 12 months, and to highlight the urgent actions required to translate vision into tangible capability. For policy- and decision-makers, this is not a reflection of past intentions – it is a strategic call to action at a moment when choices still matter.
Greece stands at a pivotal crossroads. The decisions made in the next few years will determine whether the country merely adopts AI or positions itself as a regional leader, capable of shaping European and Southeastern European AI ecosystems.
The Blueprint demonstrates that Greece recognizes the stakes. The document provides a comprehensive framework spanning education, innovation, public sector digital transformation, and regulatory alignment. It identifies key sectors such as healthcare, tourism, culture, maritime and energy, linking AI development to national comparative advantages. The blueprint emphasizes trustworthy, human-centric AI, reflecting Greece’s commitment to European values and ensuring that AI adoption is socially responsible.
There is much to commend. The strategy rightly positions the public sector as both a consumer and a facilitator of AI innovation. Government services, administrative processes, and data-driven decision-making can serve as a testing ground for AI deployment while simultaneously signaling demand to private sector actors. Likewise, the emphasis on skills development, reskilling, and inclusive AI literacy is necessary to prepare the workforce and reduce societal resistance to change. These elements suggest a careful, forward-looking approach.
Yet the blueprint also reveals critical gaps that must be addressed if Greece is to translate ambition into tangible capability. Its treatment of infrastructure, industrial policy, national security, and talent is cautious where urgency is required. Compute power, the backbone of modern AI, is largely addressed only in general terms. Greece lacks a concrete, financed plan for high-performance computing, secure data-centers, energy provisioning, and regulatory streamlining. Without these elements, the country risks becoming dependent on foreign providers for advanced AI capabilities – a vulnerability with economic and geopolitical consequences.
Similarly, industrial strategy receives insufficient attention. Greece cannot manufacture semiconductors or specialized AI hardware, but it can strategically position itself within European supply chains, attract research partnerships, and develop incentives for companies to deploy AI in high-value sectors domestically. Without this, Greece will remain a consumer rather than a participant in the growing AI ecosystem, missing opportunities to shape standards, influence cross-border investment, and retain economic value.
National security considerations are also underdeveloped. AI is now central to cyber defense, maritime monitoring, logistics, and intelligence operations. The blueprint does not clearly define mechanisms to integrate civilian and military AI efforts, nor does it establish oversight of dual-use technologies. Given Greece’s location in the Eastern Mediterranean and its strategic role in NATO, a deliberate, coordinated approach to security-related AI is essential. The lack of such a framework may leave the country reactive rather than proactive in responding to regional threats and opportunities.
Talent retention and attraction constitute another pressing challenge. While the blueprint outlines educational priorities, it lacks concrete mechanisms to keep top-tier researchers in the country or to repatriate the diaspora. Greece produces highly capable scientists and engineers, yet many migrate to other European or North American centers. Without targeted scholarships, research funding, career pathways, and incentives for startups, the country risks underutilizing its human capital while exporting intellectual resources abroad.
Data governance and accessibility, too, remain under-specified. Modern AI depends on secure, interoperable, and high-quality data. Greece must establish frameworks for data trusts, federated learning, and standardized APIs to enable research, industrial innovation, and government services while protecting sensitive datasets. The blueprint advocates for open data in principle but does not provide operational guidance or legal structures to ensure implementation. Without these measures, the potential of AI to enhance public services and generate economic value may remain unrealized.
Finally, accountability and execution mechanisms are weak. The blueprint provides programs and priorities but lacks clearly defined KPIs, timelines, budgets, and oversight bodies. Experience shows that policy vision alone is insufficient; without disciplined implementation and transparent accountability, even well-designed strategies fail to deliver results.
From vision to strategic action
Despite these gaps, Greece has an opportunity to take decisive action. The country’s EU membership offers access to funding, regulatory alignment, and partnerships that can accelerate AI adoption. Its geographic position and growing digital infrastructure make it a potential hub for Southeastern Europe. Greece can focus on areas where it has comparative advantage – public sector AI adoption, maritime and environmental monitoring, cultural and linguistic AI, and translational research in health and energy. If executed with strategic clarity, these efforts could simultaneously generate economic value, strengthen national security, and reinforce Greece’s role within Europe.
The policy implications are clear. Greece must move from vision to implementation through a series of coordinated, high-impact actions. Establishing a dedicated National AI Implementation Unit could provide cross-government authority and oversight. Developing a sovereign compute and secure cloud strategy, supported by renewable energy procurement and incentives for data-center investment, would create the infrastructure necessary for advanced AI deployment. Implementing data governance frameworks with interoperable APIs, sector-specific data trusts, and clear privacy safeguards would unlock industrial and research potential while protecting sensitive information. Likewise, targeted programs to retain, repatriate and develop AI talent would ensure that human capital aligns with national priorities. Integrating civilian and defense AI planning would strengthen both public sector capabilities and national security.
These measures must be accompanied by a culture of accountability: clear KPIs, transparent monitoring, and regular reporting. Success cannot be measured solely by the number of programs launched; it must be evident in measurable outcomes – compute capacity available, talent retained, public sector AI pilots completed, cross-border partnerships established, and AI-driven economic growth realized.
Greece is at a strategic crossroads. The AI decade is under way, and nations are moving rapidly to secure advantage. Hesitation or partial implementation risks leaving the country dependent on foreign infrastructure, foreign talent, and foreign standards. Conversely, decisive, coordinated action can position Greece as a regional AI hub, a trusted partner in Europe, and a nation capable of leveraging technology for the public good, economic competitiveness, and strategic security.
The stakes are high, but the path forward is clear. Greece has the foundation: a coherent blueprint, European alignment, and societal strengths to draw upon. What remains is the discipline to execute, the focus to prioritize, and the courage to integrate AI into the levers of national power. Success will require more than policy statements; it will require coordinated investment, strategic partnerships, and a governance approach capable of turning vision into measurable impact.
Artificial intelligence is not a distant frontier. It is a present-day reality shaping economic growth, security, and governance. For Greece, the question is not whether to adopt AI – it is how to do so in a way that secures sovereignty, strengthens competitiveness, and builds sustainable public benefit. The decisions made today will reverberate for decades. Greece can lead – but only if it chooses to act decisively, strategically, and with a clear eye on both opportunity and risk.
Dr Konstantinos Komaitis is a resident senior fellow and is leading the Atlantic Council’s global digital governance and democracy work. He has over 20 years of experience in the intersection of technology, policy and geopolitics.
