As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and redefine global economies, Malta is positioning itself as a serious contender in the AI space. At SiGMA Euro-Med 2025 in the AIBC lounge, Professor Alexiei Dingli, a leading expert and Professor of AI at the University of Malta, shared his vision for how the country can stay ahead in this fast-moving field. From the need to bridge academia and industry to the race for top talent, Dingli offered an in-depth look at how Malta can turn its AI ambitions into reality.
Bridging academia and industry
“One of our key roles at the university is to produce as many AI experts as possible,” Dingli explained. “AI can give us a competitive edge as a country.” However, for Malta to maintain this edge, Dingli stressed that the old divide between academic research and real-world application must disappear. “Some people think academia is on one side and industry is on the other. It shouldn’t be like that. We’re preparing people for both. Academia gives you depth and that depth is important when you’re solving very complex issues. But it must be balanced with practice because if you don’t practice what you learn, it’s useless.”
This marriage between theory and application, as Dingli calls it, is essential for creating graduates who can drive innovation inside Maltese companies. “The trick today is not whether AI is coming and taking over,” he said, “but whether your organisation will get the benefits of AI before your competitor.”
AI of tomorrow
Dingli pointed to rapid developments in AI, from generative models to the emerging agentic AI, as proof that change is accelerating. “In the past three years, we’ve seen a lot of changes. Generative AI is just a small branch of AI, and now we’re seeing agentic AI, which is the flavour of the moment. The impact will be really big.”
Practical applications are already here. AI models can now converse fluently in nearly any language, handle customer queries and integrate seamlessly into business infrastructures, saving time, resources and reducing reliance on hard-to-find staff. “It will be a mix, AI and people. It’s not about replacing humans but about combining strengths.”
And while superhuman-level AI capabilities are already emerging, Dingli reassured that sentient AI, machines with desires and plans of their own, is still far off. “We are very, very far away from that,” he said, though he acknowledged that the technology we have today already exceeds human ability in certain tasks.
The talent challenge
For Malta, the biggest challenge is not technology but talent. “We’re not producing enough students to meet market demand. Our students start working practically from their first year and we still don’t have enough.”
To address the shortage, he supports policies such as special visas to attract skilled AI professionals from abroad. “It’s very cutthroat at the moment. With these kinds of visas, we can allow the mobility of AI experts and ensure Malta remains competitive,” he said. However, attracting talent is not just about visas, it’s about making Malta an irresistible destination. “These people can choose where they want to live. Let’s make sure they want to live with us.”
Be part of the conversation
Malta’s AI ambitions are clear, but the race is far from over. As Professor Dingli emphasises, success will depend on how quickly organisations embrace AI and how effectively academia, industry and government work together to foster talent.
Join the discussion at SiGMA Central Europe 2025 in Rome from November 03 to 06 where global innovators, AI experts and industry leaders will connect to explore the technologies shaping tomorrow. Don’t miss your chance to network, learn and help drive the next chapter of Malta’s AI story.
