You have introduced a new service to mObywatel, mStłuczka. How will it work, what other features are already in development, and which are being considered?

We have just implemented a new feature called mStłuczka in the mObywatel application. I am proud of this, as we did not do it alone but with the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG) and the Polish Chamber of Insurance. In my opinion, this is one of the best examples of implementation because we first met with representatives from insurers and the UFG to determine how to simplify the process. Digitisation is not just about transferring paper to our smartphones, but also about simplifying things as much as possible, and we succeeded with mStłuczka. The paper claim form has 70 fields to fill in, while mStłuczka has only ten. When you confirm your identity by simply scanning a QR code, your data is retrieved from state registers, so most of the information will be downloaded automatically. There will be no risk of error when entering numbers, addresses, or names, and the rest will be very intuitive.

What does that mean?

After confirming your identity and locating the damage on a car visualisation in the app, you will need to write a short description of the incident, pinpoint your location on a map, and take a photo of the vehicle. The report will be sent to the insurer immediately. This saves valuable time, and in a stressful situation, the system completes a significant part of the report for us. I am very happy about the enormous interest in this service; we have already recorded hundreds of thousands of logins from people wanting to check it out. Unfortunately, since it is always an unpleasant situation, insurers have already registered the first reports via mStłuczka. In the first 24 hours alone, several dozen traffic incidents were electronically reported by the participants. This demonstrates the future direction of the mObywatel application: it will not just be simple digitisation, but also a way to simplify peoples’ lives.

When did mStłuczka start operating?

The service went live on 1 September. However, phone operating system providers roll out updates gradually, first to half of all users and then to the rest over the next few days until everyone has it. So, to get the new feature, you will need to update the mObywatel app as soon as the option becomes available. There is a lot of interest in the service; we can see that several million smartphones have already been updated.

You also announced the implementation of an AI assistant in the mObywatel application by the end of this year. What specific functionalities will the AI assistant have and what is the schedule for its implementation?

We have a very extensive plan for further implementations by the end of the year. In mid-September, we are implementing a student ID card in mObywatel, which is a step towards getting young people used to using applications that simplify their lives. We are introducing it in all Polish schools, so children and parents no longer have to stress about whether a paper or plastic ID card has been brought on school trips. Everything will be electronic, and this will open up opportunities for further implementations related to safety and contact, for example, if a child is in danger or needs to contact a parent.

At the end of the year, a virtual assistant will be added to mObywatel, which means the Polish artificial intelligence model PLLuM will be used in our application. This will be a significant change because you will no longer have to scroll through the screen to find the service we are interested in; instead, we can just start a chat. You will be able to ask how to perform a specific service, such as getting an identity card or passport. You can also ask how many penalty points you have or where the nearest office is to deal with a particular matter. The virtual assistant will guide you through the entire process and show you where to click to find something. If a process has not yet been digitised, it will describe the steps needed to complete it at the nearest office. This represents a major shift in the philosophy of using the application, as it is clear that with more services, you will have to manage them differently. You will manage them through a virtual assistant who will help you with daily administrative tasks.

In June of this year, you announced that Poland had submitted an application to the European Commission for the construction of an artificial intelligence gigafactory worth approximately PLN 5 billion, with public funding of almost PLN 2 billion between 2026 and 2029. The project involves installing approximately 30,000 GPUs in five centres: Poznań, Kraków, Wrocław, Warsaw, and Gdańsk. What is the AI gigafactory all about, and how do you intend to secure the funding for the national contribution?

The artificial intelligence gigafactory is a groundbreaking project on a European scale. In Paris this February, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a European response to major investment programmes in other parts of the world. From my perspective, this is a breakthrough because the European Commission has finally paved the way for a serious public-private partnership and for combining public and private capital. For me, this project is so important not even because of the potential European Commission funding, but precisely because of the possibility of flexible cooperation with private partners. That is why, in early August, we opened the call for applications to join the consortium. We received applications from 275 companies and institutions from many member states, primarily from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – the EU member states that form the core of the Baltic artificial intelligence gigafactory consortium. Companies from Germany, France, Spain, and Luxembourg also applied, as did companies from outside the European Union, such as the United Kingdom.

The consortium, in which energy and telecommunications companies hold a large share, gives us a solid foundation for cooperation. In a few days, we will transition from project management to capital management, allowing the financial and material contributions of each member to influence how the consortium, and ultimately the company, will be managed. The idea behind the factory is to scale models for the largest markets so that we can apply solutions to automate processes and expand our field of activity, for instance, in the Polish energy or telecommunications sectors. This will allow large language models, which we do not yet know of today, to be based on the data we have. The gigafactory is scalable. Meanwhile, an artificial intelligence factory is being built in Poznań. It is a smaller system that Polish small and medium-sized enterprises can use for their own smaller models, tailored to their companies. We are operating on two fronts, as we are aware that we need both scaling and implementation for our SMEs.

You are planning to pass a Polish law on AI systems (implementing the AI Act) and amend law act on electronic services (introducing, among other things, DSA provisions). What stage of the legislative process is the draft law on AI systems currently at?

The Economic Forum in Karpacz is not only a place for fantastic discussions about Poland’s technological development, but also an opportunity to speed up the legislative process during breaks. Before this conversation, I sent the draft law on artificial intelligence systems to the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers for consideration. We are in the penultimate stage of the legislative process. Thanks to extensive consultations, we have managed to create a modern draft. While EU regulations require control procedures and penalties for non-compliance, our cooperation with the market and non-governmental organisations has resulted in a modern control model. This is a remote model that no longer requires companies to provide a room for inspectors, stamping, or paper copies, as we are in the 21st century – and this draft law is truly fit for the 21st century. We only have a few issues left to agree on in the Standing Committee, so I hope the law will be passed this year.

As for the act on the provision of electronic services, it implements the European Digital Services Act. We have already completed the government stage and only need to make legislative and technical amendments before the Council of Ministers can adopt this draft. Both drafts are at a very advanced stage in the government process and will soon be submitted to the Sejm.

The AI development policy envisages the creation of 34 local AI centres and four main centres (Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań), along with the establishment of an AI Fund Council. Ambitious goals have been set: by 2030, 70% of Poles should know the basics of AI, 80% of government offices should use AI, and schools are to introduce AI education in two new subjects. How will these goals be financed, and how does the ministry plan to monitor their implementation?

First and foremost, we want to wisely use EU funds and existing systems, as we believe artificial intelligence is not an entirely foreign technology requiring new systems. Instead, we should implement it in what already works. That is why the indicator for AI use in public institutions is achievable through implementing AI in electronic document management, a system that is being successfully rolled out in thousands of public institutions across Poland. Since the beginning of this year alone, we have implemented an electronic document management system in 520 public offices and have already trained over 60,000 officials. We will add an extension to this system in the form of an automatic letter generator, so officials will not have to create them from scratch. They will only need to check if the generated letter has all the correct elements and data, then it will go for approval or signature.

This will significantly increase productivity in the most repetitive processes, which are a problem. We want to use existing systems to achieve our set indicators because we believe we need to make the most of the investments we have in electronic document management. We are running a programme worth PLN 194 million from the National Recovery Plan (KPO), while the mObywatel application has received PLN 192 million from the KPO. We will supplement these funds with European funds for digital development. We have a clear plan until 2028 to invest heavily in implementation as well.