Latest news with #AlarKaris
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Euronews
Estonian President Alar Karis has a plan to bring AI to schools
Schools may be closing for the summer holidays, but Estonia's teachers will be spending the break learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to prepare a new generation to use the technology, the country's President Alar Karis told Euronews Next. Estonia is no stranger to high-tech infrastructure. For more than two decades, the country has been digitising all of its services and is ahead of many countries when it comes to cybersecurity. But Karis said that 'in a way,' AI is a new frontier. 'We try to take advantage of this technology and we start from schools, and not only from schools but from teachers, because education is of utmost importance,' he said, adding that teachers will pass on their knowledge to their students. AI could help teachers plan their lessons and give more personalised feedback to children, Karis said, but the technology, which is developing fast as competition among AI companies is fierce, also poses many ethical questions. 'The whole school system is probably going to be upside down in the coming years. But it's in a very early stage. And how and where it develops, it's very difficult to say,' he said. 'With AI, it's not the problem with technology itself, but just the speed [of development] and then people get very anxious because of the speed rather than technology,' he added. Trust in AI Concerns about AI include the technology making things up, which is known as hallucinating. Studies have also shown that using chatbots can impact people's critical thinking skills. 'It's the same with every technology. If you don't read books anymore, you start using only this chatbot, of course, you are getting dumber, but that's why we have to teach [people] how to use it smartly,' said Karis. 'And students, modern students, already know how to use ChatGPT, not only to copy-paste, but really use it'. For example, AI could be used to help students catch up after they have missed a few days at school, because teachers 'do not have the time' to do so, Karis said. But one major issue that teachers have reported is students using AI to write their essays or do their homework for them, which can be difficult for teachers to identify. 'We are dealing with this problem already,' Karis said. 'The teachers and professors should be honest if they have been using it [AI]. So it's a matter of trust'. Though Karis mentions OpenAI's ChatGPT, the Estonian government says it is considering working with several tech companies. The programme, called AI Leap, is a private-public partnership. Negotiations are underway with US AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic, the country's education minister announced in February. Karis added that as Estonia is a small country, it cannot build its own AI systems and is instead 'taking advantage' of what is already developed. However, he noted the importance of these AI chatbots being available in the Estonian language. 'Being a small country with a small language means we have to keep our language going. That means that we need to develop ourselves, these language skills for AI,' he said. 'Otherwise, young people, they switch to English and we lose a lot, and then people start already thinking in a foreign language'. The AI Leap programme will begin in September and will initially include 20,000 high schoolers and 3,000 teachers, the education ministry said. Estonia then hopes to expand to vocational schools and an additional 38,000 students and 3,000 teachers from September 2026. The hybrid war AI will soon be as central to Estonia's school curricula as cybersecurity is today, Karis said. Cybersecurity has been a focus since a 2007 cyberattack on the country that lasted weeks and took out Estonian banks, government bodies, and the media. Exactly who was behind the attacks is unknown. The cyberattacks came from Russian IP addresses, but the government has always denied any involvement. Karis said that Estonia, which borders Russia, is not immune from having a war on its doorstep. 'The whole of Europe is next door to Russia so we're not in any way exceptional, but this so-called hybrid war is going on already… and of course AI can be one of the tools' used in modern warfare. 'We have to be aware and to make sure that we develop also critical thinking, and that's why we start with schools and teachers,' he said. Despite some of the fears and unknowns of AI, Karis, who was a molecular geneticist and developmental biologist prior to entering politics, is more excited about the potential uses of AI than the risks. 'I'm not scared of anything [in AI] to be honest, it's a new technology and being a former scientist, for me, it's always very interesting to use new technologies and to build something. So everything is exciting which is new, and you shouldn't be scared of the unknown,' he said. Of course, there is also a limit for the technology. … There are also worries, and rules and regulations and all these acts will help to keep things under control'.
Russia Today
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state's president refuses to sign law banning Christian church
Estonia's president, Alar Karis, has for the second time refused to support a controversial law targeting the nation's largest Christian denomination – the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC) – which he claims violates the Baltic State's constitution. The bill that was initially passed by lawmakers back in April is aimed at barring religious organizations from having ties with foreign bodies deemed a security threat. It would prohibit local churches from having ties or economic relations with such bodies enshrined in foundational documents or charters. Legislation seeking to bar religious entities from being governed by foreign bodies or leaders deemed a threat was dropped after Karis opposed the bill in April. He maintains, however, that the changes were not sufficient enough. The bill 'disproportionally limits the freedom of congregations and religion,' Karis said on Thursday, criticizing the definition of a 'threat' in the legislation as extremely 'vague.' Tallinn has 'other effective means' to combat what he called foreign influence and such 'extensive interference' into people's religious life is not needed. Lawmakers have openly admitted that they sought to exert control 'over the church teachings and religious rituals,' he claimed. The president's decision drew criticism from Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro, who claimed the bill was aimed at protecting the country's 'security' and would not lead to 'a ban on Orthodox Christianity or any other religion.' The ECOC has repeatedly expressed its concerns over the legislation. In June, it warned that the bill interfered 'disproportionately' with the internal life of religious associations even after its initial version was amended. The church had previously been required to revise its charter and remove any mention of the Moscow Patriarchate, despite maintaining historic and canonical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The ROC has previously condemned the draft law as discriminatory against Estonia's 250,000 Orthodox believers, stressing that the ECOC has never engaged in politics or jeopardized public safety. Around 16% of Estonians identify as Orthodox Christians and 8% as Lutherans, according to government data.
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Baltic state's president rejects bill targeting country's largest Christian church
Estonia's president, Alar Karis, has for the second time refused to support a controversial law targeting the nation's largest Christian denomination – the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (ECOC) – which he claims violates the Baltic State's constitution. The bill that was initially passed by lawmakers back in April is aimed at barring religious organizations from having ties with foreign bodies deemed a security threat. It would prohibit local churches from having ties or economic relations with such bodies enshrined in foundational documents or charters. Legislation seeking to bar religious entities from being governed by foreign bodies or leaders deemed a threat was dropped after Karis opposed the bill in April. He maintains, however, that the changes were not sufficient enough. The bill 'disproportionally limits the freedom of congregations and religion,' Karis said on Thursday, criticizing the definition of a 'threat' in the legislation as extremely 'vague.' Tallinn has 'other effective means' to combat what he called foreign influence and such 'extensive interference' into people's religious life is not needed. Lawmakers have openly admitted that they sought to exert control 'over the church teachings and religious rituals,' he claimed. The president's decision drew criticism from Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro, who claimed the bill was aimed at protecting the country's 'security' and would not lead to 'a ban on Orthodox Christianity or any other religion.' The ECOC has repeatedly expressed its concerns over the legislation. In June, it warned that the bill interfered 'disproportionately' with the internal life of religious associations even after its initial version was amended. The church had previously been required to revise its charter and remove any mention of the Moscow Patriarchate, despite maintaining historic and canonical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The ROC has previously condemned the draft law as discriminatory against Estonia's 250,000 Orthodox believers, stressing that the ECOC has never engaged in politics or jeopardized public safety. Around 16% of Estonians identify as Orthodox Christians and 8% as Lutherans, according to government data.
Kuwait Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Ambassador Reem Al-Khaled presents credentials in Estonia
TALLINN: Ambassador Reem Al-Khaled attends a ceremony to present her credentials to President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis. — KUNA BERLIN: Ambassador Reem Al-Khaled, Kuwait's Ambassador to Germany, on Wednesday presented her credentials as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Republic of Estonia. The credentials ceremony was held at the Presidential Palace in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Ambassador Al-Khaled told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that she was 'honored to present her credentials to the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, and conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir of the country, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, along with his sincere wishes for continuous progress and prosperity to the Republic of Estonia and its friendly people.' She added that during the meeting, she emphasized 'Kuwait's firm commitment to developing bilateral relations with Estonia and openness to vital areas of cooperation, especially in digital transformation, education, and technology sectors, based on the visions and objectives of the New Kuwait 2035 Plan.' She explained that the meeting covered a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, noting the alignment of views on the importance of enhancing dialogue and cooperation to address common challenges. She expressed the aspiration of both countries to build an effective strategic partnership in the upcoming phase by strengthening political, economic, and cultural cooperation channels and opening new horizons 'that serve mutual interests and contribute to consolidating the friendship relations between the two friendly countries.' — KUNA
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Estonian president: Ukraine will become NATO member in long term
Estonian President Alar Karis has urged people not to lose hope in Ukraine's future NATO membership, even though there is currently no unanimous political will among allies to approve it. Source: Alar Karis in an interview with Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, as reported by European Pravda Details: Karis was asked whether he believes Ukraine's accession to NATO is realistic in light of former US President Donald Trump's recent remarks dismissing the idea. Quote: "It's worth remembering that Estonia began discussing NATO membership when Russian troops were still on our soil, and not everyone believed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania would ever become NATO members. But here we are – NATO members and allies." More details: Karis added that both Finland and Sweden have recently joined NATO despite a long history of neutrality. "Ukraine also needs security guarantees. And in the long term, we are convinced Ukraine will become a NATO member as well," Karis said. Background: Estonia plans to allocate over 5% of its GDP to defence needs next year. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur believes NATO countries can realistically raise their defence spending to 5% of GDP within five years. Read also: Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
