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Cyprus: Safeguards Needed to Ensure AI Serves Public Interest

Published January 15, 2026, 11:14
Cyprus: Safeguards Needed to Ensure AI Serves Public Interest

The President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, emphasized the importance of establishing rules and safeguards for artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights. The statement was made during an Interparliamentary Meeting organized by the House of Representatives, under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, on the topic of “The Age of Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence”. Ms. Demetriou noted that AI has permeated all areas of human activity and affects daily life, while also being linked to international geopolitical developments. She highlighted the unprecedented opportunities offered by AI, particularly in the fields of research, education, healthcare, and public services. However, the President of the House also underscored the challenges that accompany AI, making it imperative to address them holistically and progressively, in line with the European legal framework and shared values. AI, she explained, is based on algorithms that reproduce human beliefs, ideals, but also biases and inequalities. For this reason, Ms. Demetriou reiterated the political responsibility to establish rules that will ensure that AI serves the public interest and not private or other interests. She stressed the need for careful use of AI, considering both its positive potential and the risks associated with its uncontrolled or inappropriate use.