Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned that Greece faces an impending economic transformation driven by artificial intelligence and robotics, cautioning that society is "not yet ready" for the scale of the disruption.
Speaking at the "Future Unfold" technology conference in Athens, Mr. Mitsotakis joined a panel with Grant Thornton Consulting Chairman Nikolaos Karamouzis and Managing Partner Vassilis Kazas to discuss the digital future of the Greek economy.
"It’s a question of how society will accept enormous changes for which it is not prepared," Mr. Mitsotakis said. "It’s natural for there to be fear. We treat it as something foreign, but the technology is already here."
The prime minister argued that the fusion of AI and robotics will trigger a "trend-changing shift" in global labor markets.
While acknowledging that social pressures may slow the transition, he insisted businesses cannot use this as an excuse to delay productivity improvements.
Mr. Mitsotakis cited the state portal gov.gr as a blueprint for successful modernization.
"Gov.gr was a revolution for both citizens and businesses," he said, noting that more than 1,600 digitized services have slashed bureaucracy.
The remarks come as European governments race to regulate AI while simultaneously pushing for adoption.
In Greece, while public-sector digitization has surged, business leaders warn that private-sector integration still trails European Union averages.
Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that the path forward lies in viewing these technologies as tools for growth rather than threats to employment.