On Monday, February 12, 2024, the CYENS Centre of Excellence hosted an influential event titled "AI in Modern Life - Its Impact on Society and Media," supported by the Municipality of Nicosia and the Politis newspaper. This gathering aimed to bring the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in society and the media into the public domain.

According to a CYENS announcement, the event was a collaborative effort with the Think Tank for the Modernization of Society (OPEK). It focused on discussing the ramifications of AI in our social fabric and the media landscape.

The event featured a series of talks by esteemed academics and journalists. These experts delved into AI's capabilities, its future trajectory, and the regulatory frameworks governing it, all while emphasizing the protection of fundamental rights and effective information management. Following these presentations was an engaging dialogue, allowing citizens to actively participate in discussions about these contemporary AI trends, approaches, and concerns. The event commenced with showcases of innovative research projects from the CYENS Centre of Excellence.

As noted in the organizers' announcement, a key topic was the European Union's strategy on AI. This strategy centers on achieving excellence and trust in AI applications, aiming to bolster research and industrial capabilities while simultaneously ensuring security and adherence to fundamental rights.

Prominent participants in the discussion included Loizos Michael, a Professor at the Open University of Cyprus and lead researcher of the SCRAT research team at CYENS; Lilian Mitrou, a Professor at the University of the Aegean and President of the Institute for Privacy Law, Personal Data, and Technology; as well as notable journalists Elli Kotzamani, Chair of the Journalistic Ethics Committee, and Yiannis Seitainidis, Vice-President of the Cyprus Journalists' Union. The event concluded with Theano Kalavana, Chair of OPEK, presenting a summary and the conclusions of the discussions.