Artificial Intelligence in Austria’s Government Program: Ambition Meets Challenge
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the key technologies driving digital transformation and is becoming increasingly important in Austria. The new Austrian government has set ambitious goals for AI promotion in its government program, with Federal Minister Peter Hanke and State Secretary Alexander Pröll leading these efforts. According to the program, Austria aims to position itself as a European hub for innovation and digitalization, striving for top positions in the Global Innovation Index and the European Innovation Scoreboard. But what are the key focus areas of the government’s AI strategy?
Focus on Education and Innovation
The government program places a strong emphasis on education and research to strengthen Austria’s position in AI development. Specific measures include:
- Establishment of a public Large Language Model to support administration and citizens
- AI initiative for the education sector, including a resource package for AI-supported learning starting in the 2025/26 school year
- Integration of AI into adult education to enhance digital skills
- Revision of the AI strategy: Austria needs a bold and ambitious new AI strategy that ensures measurable progress through transparent monitoring
- Establishment of a GovTech Campus to promote innovative technologies in the public sector
AI will also play a greater role in schools: Digital and AI competencies will be further integrated into curricula and linked to mathematics and computational thinking. The training and further education of teachers will also be expanded in this field.
Additional AI-Related Focus Areas
- Agriculture: Establishment of a competence center for digital agriculture
- Climate protection: Assessment of AI’s environmental impact
- Security: Creation of a dedicated AI unit within the Ministry of the Interior
- Administration: Introduction of the “Human-in-the-Loop” principle to ensure human oversight of AI-driven decisions
- Media and public awareness: Expansion of the RTR service center into a competence center for artificial intelligence and promotion of new AI-based media formats
What Austria Needs to Do Now
A study by Economica, commissioned by Microsoft in 2024, highlights AI’s enormous potential: It could increase Austria’s economic value creation by 18%. Another analysis by the Implement Consulting Group, commissioned by Google, predicts that generative AI could boost Austria’s GDP by 8% over the next ten years. The service sectors stand to gain the most from generative AI, though other industries, such as manufacturing, can also benefit significantly. These developments are particularly relevant against the backdrop of an economic recession and a persistent skilled labor shortage.
Despite these ambitious plans, challenges and areas for improvement remain:
- Focus on concrete applications: Austria should follow the example of other European countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, by identifying specific areas where AI can deliver measurable benefits quickly.
- Strengthening the innovation ecosystem: Encouraging AI-driven business models in tech startups and supporting traditional companies in adopting AI.
- Investments in AI infrastructure and computing power: Access to high-performance supercomputers and cloud services is essential.
- Better coordination: The current fragmented governance structure requires a central, empowered entity with a clear political mandate.
- Building human capital: Investments in education and training are crucial to integrating AI as a core component of the educational system.
What Austria Can Learn from Its European Neighbors
- Switzerland: Switzerland excels in AI research, supported by extensive national programs and collaborations between prestigious institutions like ETH Zurich and EPFL, as well as global technology leaders.
- France: France heavily invests in high-performance computing, improved data access, and expanded internet infrastructure. The Jean Zay supercomputer in Paris provides significant HPC resources for AI research and computational studies. It was used, for example, to train the open-source language model BLOOM by Hugging Face.
- Germany: Digital innovation hubs promote specific industries, particularly through the Digital Hub Initiative, which builds on regional strengths.
- Denmark/Netherlands: A focus on Industry 4.0 technologies with direct economic impact.
Conclusion
The government program provides a promising foundation for a forward-looking AI strategy. However, its successful implementation will depend on political decisions, clear prioritization, and a willingness to learn from successful international models. Austria has the opportunity to become a leading AI hub in Europe—provided that the right course is set now.