László Palkovics, Government Commissioner for Artificial Intelligence, stated that artificial intelligence in its current form is unlikely to become self-aware. Speaking on the latest episode of the Bold Truth About Hungary podcast hosted by State Secretary Zoltán Kovács, he emphasized that conscious AI would require deliberate intent. “Why would humanity want to create an enemy? We already have enough,” he said.
Government Commissioner Palkovics: Current AI structures unlikely to lead to consciousness
Aug 8, 2025
“Humanity does not accidentally create adversaries—we build tools to help us,” the government commissioner said.
Palkovics argued that concerns over conscious AI are better suited for philosophical discussion than scientific debate. “These are interesting fears, good for conversations—but mostly with philosophers or theologians, not mathematicians or engineers,” he added.
Discussing the foundations of AI development, he outlined four critical factors: access to data, computational power, a suitable legal and financial environment, and intent paired with talent. “Hungary possesses all four,” he said, pointing to structured national data sets in agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, and healthcare, as well as the Central Statistical Office’s archives.
He noted that Hungary already operates several smaller supercomputers, including the Komondor system in Debrecen, and announced plans for a procurement process to acquire a 20-petaflop machine named Levente. The country’s energy mix, he added, supports the operational demands of such systems, including their need for continuous and increasingly renewable energy.
Addressing calls for Hungarian-made, Hungarian-language AI models, Palkovics acknowledged their limitations compared to global systems but stressed their utility in domain-specific applications. “The value lies in the data we train them on—and we have a lot of usable, well-structured data,” he said.
He also defended Hungary’s Digital Citizenship Program, rejecting fears of surveillance. “It is a service that simplifies and improves state operations while making citizens’ lives more convenient,” he stated.
Reflecting on his previous cabinet role, Palkovics concluded that the government now recognizes the untapped potential of existing national data for policy preparation and public service modernization.