Page 90 - The Annual AI Governance Report 2025 Steering the Future of AI

The Annual AI Governance Report 2025: Steering the Future of AI

Quote:

• “We don’t need to sail in the same ship, or even at the same speed. But we do Annexes
need to navigate the same oceans together, by the same compass, under the
same stars.” (Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU)

2 Presidential address, H.E. Mr. Alar Karis, President, Republic of
Estonia

Honourable leaders, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

It is truly an honour to represent Estonia here today – a country of just 1.3 million people, but one
of the world’s most digitally advanced societies. For over two decades, we’ve made technology
the backbone of our public services.

Today, Estonia is not just online – it is a full-fledged digital society, where all public services are
available to citizens anytime, anywhere.

Our digital journey began with a clear and bold vision. When Estonia regained its independence
in 1991, we faced the challenge of building modern state and its institutions from scratch, with
very limited resources. That was a time when instead of replicating legacy systems, we decided
to leapfrog into the future.

In the mid-1990s, we launched an ambitious national programme called the Tiger Leap, aimed
at bringing computers and internet access to every school in the country.

Figure 21: H�E� Mr� Alar Karis, President, Republic of Estonia

81