Greece proposes constitutional safeguards on artificial intelligence

Greece Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Ensure AI Serves Society

Greece is taking bold steps toward enshrining artificial intelligence regulations in its constitution, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announcing plans for amendments that would require AI to benefit humanity rather than harm it.

The conservative leader outlined the proposed changes on Thursday during a meeting with lawmakers from his center-right party, framing them as essential safeguards for future generations in an era of rapid technological advancement.

“It’s very important that, in this process of constitutional revision, we take care of the world that will host our children,” Mitsotakis told his colleagues, highlighting growing international concerns about AI’s potential threats to democratic governance and social stability.

The cornerstone of the AI-related amendment states: “Artificial intelligence shall serve the freedom of the individual and the prosperity of society, ensuring that risks are mitigated and that the advantages it provides are fully realized.”

This move places Greece among the first nations seeking to address AI governance at the constitutional level, reflecting the growing urgency among policymakers worldwide to establish guardrails around powerful emerging technologies. The timing coincides with increasing global debate about AI regulation, as systems like ChatGPT and other generative AI tools rapidly advance in capabilities.

Evripidis Stylianidis, the government’s lead lawmaker on constitutional revision, emphasized the far-reaching implications of the proposed changes. “Many issues today are defined at the international level,” he told state radio Thursday. “The protection and proper use of artificial intelligence touches all human rights in daily life and is something that must concern us in the constitutional revision.”

Constitutional experts in Greece argue such protections are necessary because major technology companies now possess unprecedented amounts of data and influence, potentially operating beyond effective public oversight. The amendment aims to establish enduring principles that can guide AI development and deployment regardless of how the technology evolves.

The AI provision is part of a broader package of constitutional reforms that would also expand postal voting rights, increase mandatory education from nine to eleven years, and prohibit retroactive taxation. Mitsotakis described these changes as responses to pressing contemporary challenges.

“These challenges already dominate today: from the climate crisis and protection of water resources to renewable energy sources, but above all the use of artificial intelligence,” the prime minister said. “This great revolution must also be constitutionally placed at the service of individual freedom and social well-being.”

The proposed constitutional revisions face a lengthy approval process requiring multiple votes across two successive parliaments and typically need some level of cross-party support to succeed.

Greece has embraced technology and digital transformation since emerging from its severe financial crisis eight years ago. The government has modernized border surveillance systems, rebuilt its tax administration infrastructure, and developed a comprehensive digital services platform that handles everything from divorce proceedings to purchasing tickets for domestic soccer matches.

Last month, Greece also announced plans to implement a complete social media ban for children under 16, positioning the move as a challenge to the European Union to adopt similar protective measures across the bloc.

The constitutional amendment on AI represents a significant step in Europe’s approach to technology governance. While the European Union has already enacted the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation, Greece’s constitutional approach could establish more fundamental and lasting principles for how society integrates these powerful technologies.

If successful, Greece’s initiative could influence other nations considering how to balance technological innovation with democratic values and human rights protections as AI systems become increasingly integrated into critical aspects of society.