Skopje, 29 March 2025 (MIA) – Artificial intelligence (AI) is reality, it is already part of our lives and it is necessary to know the tools it offers because the readiness of the society to adapt to the changes it brings will depend on it. The Swedish AI Association is the voice of the people against AI in the society. It plays a key influence and is responsible for gathering feedback from people as it is also using its network of influence on the government or the public sector aimed at allowing changes or adjustments wanted by the people, Reza Moussavi, Director General of the Swedish AI Association, tells MIA.

He says that people usually seek the association’s help after being laid off.

“People usually come to us to ask for help when they lost their jobs on the labor market. The government and the public sector turn to us when dealing with cyber attacks or psychological attacks when other governments are trying to manipulate people by spreading disinformation. People, however, are not concerned about these things, they mainly care whether in the future they might lose their jobs as a result of AI. In these situations, we provide two groups of advice. One group of advice involves advising people to learn to use AI. It is said AI won’t replace people, but the people that don’t know how to use it will be replaced by those who know how to apply it. We advise the authorities and the public sector to exert pressure on creating and implementing policies and regulations that would prevent loss of jobs due to AI,” says Moussavi.

Asked about the Macedonian technological and innovation profile, Moussavi says the country has a great potential, but it is lacking adequate policy for investing in new technologies, thus lagging behind other countries in the region.

“Macedonia has a really big potential in AI, especially because younger generations speak English very well. Unlike some neighbouring countries, they have a passion for progress and for developing new things. However, the government and its investment policies, such as the Fund for Innovation and Technology Development, are not active enough and do not support them enough, and this makes Macedonia significantly lagging behind neighbouring countries, even though it has more potential than them,” notes Moussavi.

The Director General of the Swedish AI Association is an AI expert and software architect with over 20 years of experience. He has led AI initiatives for major organizations, including a test automation framework for Volvo and consulting for clients like SKF. Reza is renowned for empowering executives to drive digital transformation, drawing on his expertise in AI strategy, ethical considerations, and machine learning. With degrees in Computer Hardware Engineering and Software Engineering from Göteborg Universitet & Chalmers, Reza is passionate about responsible AI and has advised global organizations on AI policy, according to his biography.

Recently, he was invited by the M6 Educational Center in Skopje to hold a day-long workshop for business leaders that offered practical AI research and its direct application.

Photo: MIA