In the latest episode of the TechIsland podcast powered by payabl., Tanya Romanyukha and Artemis Pnevmatikou sit down with three people who see the AI shift from three different angles. Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus, is shaping the country’s research, innovation, and AI direction. Thekla Paschali, CTO of payabl., is leading AI transformation inside one of Cyprus’ biggest fintech companies. Ivan Sysoev, Chief AI Officer and advisor, works across organizations helping teams move from experimentation to real impact.

It’s a conversation that starts where most AI discussions should start. Not with hype, but with a myth.

Ask what people get wrong about AI, and all three answers point to the same problem. We keep treating AI like magic. 

One myth is that AI will replace everything and everyone. Another is that AI thinks like a human, understands intention, reads between the lines, and knows what we mean. And a third is that AI is one thing, usually ChatGPT, usually assumed to know everything.

The reality, they argue, is simpler and more useful. AI is a skill. It is a tool. It is a language. And the people who benefit from it are the ones who learn how to use it with clarity and purpose.

AI is not everything, but it can unlock value

The point is not to use AI to do everything. The point is to use it to unlock trapped value, the work that sits inside inboxes, processes, approvals, and repetitive decisions. Not to eliminate the human, but to shift the human toward higher-value work.

To hear the full conversation, including the most practical examples, the debate around education, and what Cyprus is building next at a national level, watch the full episode of the TechIsland podcast powered by payabl.