To reap such benefits, all stakeholders should work on AI development and management, Šarec added.

Along with other panellists, the prime minister debated the opportunities provided by AI to governments and the public sector and designed to improve their services and boost problem-solving in various fields.

The panel also focussed on AI challenges, including privacy concerns, said the prime minister's office.

"Artificial intelligence brings higher efficiency and response-rate for the public sector and ensures more sustainable and immediate solutions for our society. But on the other hand, we need to truly understand this area so that it can serve the public sector and act for the greater good," said Šarec, adding that smart and effective policies are needed to ensure that.

He also highlighted the importance of ethics, moral codes and respecting human rights in using artificial intelligence for the good of all.

Slovenia is actively promoting such discussions and looking for solutions for ethical and regulation-compliant AI aspects. The country also plans to focus on this issue during its EU Council presidency in the second half of 2021, Šarec said.

Moreover, the prime minister took part in a panel on strengthening the bloc's status, including in the wake of Brexit, tackling climate change and taking on international challenges.

Šarec said that the EU needed clear relations between member states and effective EU institutions to maintain its strategic sovereignty, calling for the continuation of the bloc's support for multilateralism, human rights and international law.

On the margins of today's panels, the prime minister held a number of bilateral meetings, including the one with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Gakharia. Talking with him, Šarec highlighted the support for Euro-Atlantic progress and Georgia's focus on the EU.