Artificial intelligence can never replace human intellect or the moral sensibilities that make us human – AI Summit 2025 Budapest

Artificial intelligence is a milestone in the history of human thought and holds great potential for Hungary, but it also raises a number of ethical questions, said Dr. Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, at the AI Summit forum in Budapest.

In his opening speech, Tamás Sulyok emphasised that the conference focuses on a revolutionary technology that will usher in a new era of global significance: artificial intelligence affects everyone, whether they realise it or not, and reaches all, whether they wish it to or not.

He added that, for the time being, the effects of artificial intelligence applications are unpredictable. We have already reached the point where machines not only answer questions, but also help us ask questions that we would not even think to ask ourselves, President Sulyok pointed out.

The Head of State emphasized that artificial intelligence is a watershed moment in the history of human thought and could determine the direction of the lives of nations and communities.

He reminded us that Hungarians have proven time and again that they are capable of reaching the forefront of the world. Now we have another challenge, another opportunity. The potential of artificial intelligence must be seized by everyone from the Hungarian scientific community to economic actors, from entrepreneurs to developers, from employers to employees, said Tamás Sulyok.

The President warned that artificial intelligence cannot replace human intellect or the moral sensibilities that make us human, i.e. it does not replace humans, but it reinterprets our existing concepts.

We must become the engine of development in a way that advances the interests of all parts of our community, otherwise a divide may open up in our society, added the Head of State.

The President also addressed the risks posed by artificial intelligence. He emphasized that our personal data, human dignity and privacy rights are under an intense and dynamic threat, as artificial intelligence can exploit individuals more effectively than ever before through various means of deception, he said.

"We, as lawyers, are responsible for legality. The specialists present here are responsible for technological stability. The joint work of these two sides guarantees ethical operation, respect for human autonomy, the principle of fairness, the prevention of damage caused by artificial intelligence, and the explainability and transparency of its decisions," President Sulyok pointed out.

The Head of State stressed that, as a lawyer, he is particularly concerned about the challenges that the development of artificial intelligence poses to the evolution of the legal system.

We cannot be satisfied with the fact that the decisions of artificial intelligence are correct in themselves if we cannot see the content of the process behind these decisions and if there are no guarantees in place, he warned, raising the question of whether legal reasoning can be imparted to artificial intelligence.
It has become more important than ever to build bridges between technology developers and the various branches of the legal profession so that legal loopholes can be minimised in this world fraught with security risks, he emphasised.

Our country stands before not only a technological but also a historic opportunity to become active and responsible architects of the new era. Artificial intelligence can also be the engine of a new national resurgence, provided we do not content ourselves with passively adopting software, models and logic created by others, Tamás Sulyok concluded.