Cyprus aims to develop at least 3,000 artificial intelligence professionals by 2032, while expanding access to AI skills and technology across businesses and society. Government officials and industry leaders have warned that without broader adoption, the technology could deepen existing inequalities and concentrate economic power.

The issue was discussed at the 22nd Annual Economist Cyprus Summit in Nicosia during a session titled “Artificial Intelligence: Driving Growth or Deepening Inequality?”, featuring Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou and Greece’s Secretary-General for Information Systems and Digital Governance, Demosthenes Anagnostopoulos.

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Cyprus Introduces Three AI Skills Initiatives

Damianou outlined three initiatives aimed at strengthening AI literacy and preparing workers for changes in the labour market.

The AI Literacy Framework will introduce artificial intelligence and critical thinking into schools while keeping teachers in control of the learning process. A National AI Skills Observatory will align training with labour-market needs, while FutureAI CY will provide reskilling programmes for workers and small businesses.

Together, these initiatives form what Damianou called a “Social Contract for AI”, intended to ensure that technology “empowers people rather than silently replacing them”.

He stressed that access to AI models and shared computing infrastructure would be essential to preventing the technology’s benefits from being concentrated among a small number of large providers.

“The bottleneck is not the machine. It is our organizations,” Damianou said, arguing that productivity gains depend on how effectively businesses and public institutions adapt their operations.

“AI will drive growth. Whether it widens inequalities is a matter of choice, and we have time to act,” he added.

AI Adoption Gap Risks Widening Inequality

Anagnostopoulos warned that the gap between organisations able to use AI effectively and those falling behind could become a major source of economic inequality.

While AI has considerable potential to increase productivity, its benefits could remain concentrated among a limited number of companies and economies. Governments, he argued, should act not only as regulators but also as enablers of adoption across the public and private sectors.

Figures cited during the discussion highlighted the uneven pace of adoption. In 2025, an estimated 50% to 55% of large European businesses used AI tools, compared with just 17% of small businesses.

Adoption also varied significantly between countries, reaching around 42% among businesses in Denmark but remaining close to 9% in Greece and Cyprus.

Greece Expands Access Through Training And Infrastructure

Anagnostopoulos highlighted Greece’s efforts to broaden access to digital tools, including 60,000 licences distributed to public-sector employees and training for 30,000 workers. Free training programmes have also been made available to the wider public.

The country is investing in computing infrastructure through the Daedalus supercomputer, ranked 31st globally, which is expected to begin providing AI services, training and model-running capabilities the following month.

He also pointed to the Pharos ecosystem, designed to support model development and encourage wider AI adoption.

The discussion underlined a shared challenge for Cyprus and Greece: investment in AI infrastructure must go hand in hand with skills development, broader access and organisational changes that allow businesses and public institutions to use the technology effectively.