Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived in San Francisco on Monday evening as part of a trade mission focused on promoting Greece and strengthening ties with the technology sector. At an event attended by around 250 entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders, Mitsotakis openly admitted that he does not yet have answers to many of the complex questions surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) that other world leaders are discussing more privately. His visit to the Bay Area includes stops at companies like Tesla and Sequoia Capital, and he plans to travel to the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this week. Mitsotakis highlighted Greece’s economic progress, noting that the country is expected to regain its status as a developed market next year, as recognized by MSCI, a major index provider. He pointed to Greece’s rapid debt reduction and its ability to borrow at lower interest rates than the United States. Greece’s 10-year government bond yield is currently around 4.3%, compared to roughly 5% for U.S. Treasury bonds. He also outlined how Greece has invested its resources, including €36 billion from the EU’s post-COVID recovery fund, which has been used to develop digital infrastructure such as an online portal for government services and a new supercomputer in Lavrio to support AI and scientific research. To attract tech companies, Mitsotakis outlined several policy changes, including reforms to how stock options are taxed, relaxed labor laws, and tax incentives for Greeks returning to the country. He also mentioned the expansion of Greece’s visa programs, though he acknowledged that the government still needs to improve the speed of processing applications. He noted a shift in Greece’s public universities, which have moved away from a “radical leftist” approach and are now fostering startups and innovation. Mitsotakis expressed a desire to attract talent lost during Greece’s debt crisis, suggesting that the growing difficulty in obtaining American work visas might make Greece a more attractive destination for hiring. On AI’s societal impact, he admitted that Greece lacks a complete plan but has introduced a ban on social media for children under 15, set to take effect in January. He acknowledged that the ban might already be outdated due to the addictive nature of AI chatbots. He also discussed a pilot program with OpenAI aimed at reducing teachers’ administrative work and saw potential in personalized AI tutors, though he warned that AI should not replace the foundational learning process. He noted that students are already using chatbots to complete homework, adding that “complacency is a human trait.” Regarding AI infrastructure, Mitsotakis mentioned that Greece is an exception in the global opposition to data centers, which require significant energy and water. He pointed to Microsoft’s data centers near Athens and a recent deal between AWS and Greece’s largest utility to build the country’s largest data center in a former coal region, which are welcomed developments. He acknowledged that job displacement due to AI is inevitable and that no government is fully prepared for the speed of change. He supported calls for slowing down AI development and emphasized the need to listen to those building AI models, suggesting that some form of "smart regulation" is necessary, with the U.S. likely leading the way. He also suggested that Greece, with its deep philosophical traditions, could serve as a suitable place for future discussions on AI’s impact on humanity.