Full support should be extended to the efforts being made to develop in Malta a culture of ideas and conduct that reflects a familiarity with developments in the field of artificial intelligence. That kind of culture should be the engine by which the citizens of today and tomorrow become fully committed to proficiency in the management of AI. One assumes that would have to occur step by step with ongoing improvements in how students become familiar with mathematical and scientific subjects and how these get taught.

Here, the picture is less than satisfactory. Quite recently, the PISA project run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and evelopment (OECD) published its latest results which measure progress in these fields from practically all countries in the world. The results for Malta were not at all good. Once more, there's no consolation to be found in the fact that other European countries also got dismal placings.

It would be a tragedy if AI is fully present in Malta but gets widespread acceptance mostly as an entertainment platform which seems only to offer an opening for more sophisticated games than those provided by playstations.   

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CAREFUL

People who are giving service to the Labour government and party also from a political and not just a professional commitment, need to be careful. Even more so if they are in some kind of top managerial position. They have to accept that relentlessly, they will be the targets for criticism, badmouthing and ridicule, which will increase as the years of government add on. This is something to be expected.

While a substantial proportion of the criticism they get is less than genuine, not all of it is like so. Moreover, not everybody will understand which criticism is genuine, which not. The more time passes, the greater will be the attention given to critical voices. As a natural development, almost everybody will be tempted to doubt in - and rebel against - whoever forms part of the establishment.

This implies that reactions to the public criticisms and comments that get made - no matter how negative they are - need to be well thought out.

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THE EXTREME RIGHT

It would probably be correct to focus on two reasons as explanations for the rise of the extreme right in Europe. Its proponents are all the time addressing issues that truly worry wide strata of the population. And they're presenting simple, so-called populist solutions that in reality cannot be responsibly implemented. 

Now it is the case that democratic and "responsible" parties cannot and should not present policies that are alien to the values they stand for. But on the other hand, what commitment are they showing to at least discuss and face, openly and honestly, issues of concern to families in the places where they live their lives? The impression is often given that certain parties and politicians are more interested in proclaiming what they believe about what is going on, rather than in listening to what ordinary people are saying about them.