Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, during a press conference held on April 6 in the presence of representatives of the academic and research community, presented the strategic actions and initiatives of the Ministry of Culture for the integration and utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the cultural sector.
The Ministry’s strategy is part of the broader national AI strategy and is based on two key studies:
- the “National Strategy for the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in the Management, Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage”
- and the “Strategic Study on the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights in the Development of AI across All Forms of Art.”
The “Strategic Study on the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights in the Development of AI across All Forms of Art,” prepared by the Hellenic Copyright Organization and concerning the field of Contemporary Culture and the creative industries, places particular emphasis on the protection of creators, safeguarding creativity and original content, as well as on the labor, economic, and social impacts.
The Minister of Culture stressed that the timely establishment of an appropriate institutional framework to balance innovation and the protection of intellectual property is of crucial importance. She also noted that the ongoing administrative reorganization of the Hellenic Copyright Organization and the modernization of its institutional framework will significantly contribute in this direction.
During the press conference, the Acting Director of the Hellenic Copyright Organization, Maria-Daphne Papadopoulou, highlighted what she described as the central paradox of our time:
“As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, it increasingly depends on something it cannot produce itself — original human creativity. They are not competitors. They are interdependent. What is needed is the corresponding respect.”
Presenting the findings of the Organization’s Strategic Study — the first systematic mapping of the challenges posed by AI to copyright in Greece — she pointed out that the empirical data are concerning: cumulative losses of €22 billion for the music and audiovisual sectors by 2028, while translators and dubbing professionals face up to 56% of their income at risk.
She emphasized that the threat does not concern only individual creators, but the very ecosystem that sustains culture.
Ms. Papadopoulou underlined that Greece is not lagging behind other EU Member States, none of which has yet established comprehensive national legislation on AI and copyright, while countries that attempted to move quickly — such as Spain, the United Kingdom, and Australia — were forced to withdraw draft legislation under pressure from the creative sector.
Presenting the policy recommendations of the study across seven thematic axes, she proposed a gradual and evidence-based approach through committees, consultations, and legal studies, inspired by countries that have taken a more effective path.
She placed particular emphasis on the linguistic inequality affecting Greece: Greek represents less than 1% of the training data used by major AI models, with direct consequences for cultural representation and the sustainability of Greek creators.
She concluded with what she described as a non-negotiable position:
“We are not opposed to AI. We are opposed to AI without rules.”
Also speaking at the press conference were Ioannis Mastrogeorgiou, Special Secretary for Long-Term Planning at the Presidency of the Hellenic Government and member of the Board of “PHAROS AI FACTORY” and of the Ministry’s Special AI Committee; Dr. Kostis Chlouverakis, partner at Ernst & Young Greece, who presented the core framework of principles of the study on the use of AI in cultural heritage; and Professor Georgios Stamou of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, who highlighted the three main axes of AI development.
It is noted that the key pillars include the development of Greek Data Spaces for language and culture, the creation of a Greek Large Language Model (LLM), the use of thematic chatbots and AI tools, as well as the digital restoration of monuments and the development of immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality technologies (VR/AR).
Particular emphasis is also placed on the creation of modern digital infrastructures, the integration and semantic analysis of cultural data, and the protection of monuments through innovative technologies such as digital twins.
At the same time, international outreach and cultural diplomacy are being strengthened, particularly in matters concerning the repatriation of cultural assets.
In the framework of its AI national strategy the Ministry of Culture put together the Special Cοmmittee on Artificial Intelligence and Culture which consists of: Lina Mendoni (Chair), Ioannis Mastrogeorgiou, Georgios Stamou, Evangelos Karkaletsis, Vasiliki Geropanta, Georgios Koumentakis, Olympia Vikatou, Ioanna Charalambous, Maria-Daphne Papadopoulou, Ioannis Mylonas, Niki-Monika Tsilimperdi, Maria-Xeni Garezou, Sotirios Patronos and Konstantinos Platitsas.
See more here.