By: Rodney Weidemann, Editor of Mining Weekly
Johannesburg, South Africa, November 2025: The South African Oracle User Group (SAOUG) proudly welcomed Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus and Chair of the National AI Taskforce, as its honoured keynote speaker at #SAOUGConference2025.
His two keynotes; AI for Government and Tech for Humanity were vendor agnostic, and delivered one of the most globally relevant perspectives ever presented on a SAOUG stage – a rare, strategic, and deeply human look at how nations can responsibly adopt AI at scale.
Speaking to a packed plenary, Skourides provided a high-level and remarkably candid view of how governments across the world are grappling with more work, more complexity, more regulation, more data, and less time. He outlined why coordinated national strategies, responsible regulation and clear value frameworks are essential as AI moves from experimentation into real-world public adoption.
Human-Centric AI: A National Imperative
Skourides emphasised that true AI progress begins with understanding what AI actually is and what value it unlocks, and not the hype. He challenged leaders to ask better questions:
- How do we create value for citizens?
- How do we regulate innovation without stifling it?
- How do we automate without losing humanity?
He highlighted the increasing urgency for human-centred AI, where humans remain at the core and AI provides the surrounding support, enabling professionals like doctors, lawyers, educators, administrators and public servants to work more effectively, not be replaced.
Intelligent Government: Data, Infrastructure, Sovereign AI
Drawing from Cyprus’ national journey, Skourides explained how governments can transform into intelligent, responsive, data-driven institutions. He introduced the concept of a real-time national data layer, policy-shaping analytics and secure AI infrastructures that support large-scale digital public services.
He referenced Cyprus’ AI 4 Government programme, a model for leveraging AI technologies to solve ministerial challenges sharing examples from Cyprus such as Early Warning Meteorological Decision System, and Early Warning System for Disaster Management. Skourides explained that AI can help streamline interactions between government and citizens leveraging cognitive and conversational AI services, automated document processing and actionable analytics that can help shape smarter policy decisions.
To unlock this value, he stressed the need for:
- Modern AI-ready infrastructure
- Data governance and security
- Nation-wide standards (ISO 42001, OECD AI Ethics)
- Cross-ministry intelligent APIs
- Build Sovereign AI capabilities
- Strong governance and an AI playbook
Global Challenges, Local Responsibility
Skourides cautioned that AI brings real risks, from water-intensive data centres requiring intensive resources to cool-down, to unethical use, to societal disruption, and highlighted the importance of responsible regulation, especially for small countries whose economies rely heavily on services. Governments must consider both the value AI creates and the risks it introduces, ensuring that innovation benefits all citizens, including the elderly, disabled and digitally vulnerable.
He reminded the audience that AI democratises information at an unprecedented scale, making thoughtful governance essential. “Transformation is not a future event, it’s a present activity,” he told delegates, urging leaders to embrace curiosity, responsibility and collaboration.
A Call to African CIOs, Technologists and Innovators
In closing, Skourides expressed deep admiration for Africa’s innovation momentum, emphasising that Africa’s resilience, creativity and readiness make it a powerful contributor to global AI evolution. Conferences like the SAOUG Conference 2025, he said, represent invaluable platforms for cross-domain learning, strategic partnerships and the sharing of practical expertise.