In Portugal, experts suggest that generative artificial intelligence could boost the GDP by 18 to 22 billion euros over the next decade, said the government official at the opening of the Financial Outlook Forum in Lisbon.
Gonçalo Matias also noted that AI technologies will impact 85 million jobs worldwide; however, he emphasized that AI “can create 97 million new jobs.”
“This implies, or translates to, a net creation of approximately 12 million jobs globally and an increase in the world’s GDP by about 15 percentage points (p.p.) by 2035,” he added.
Regarding direct impacts on the population, the minister admitted that AI applications in the public sector could save between 96.7 million to 1.2 billion working hours per year.
The official further stated that in the Portuguese context, this translates into “hundreds of millions of euros in annual savings.”
Gonçalo Matias mentioned that Portugal is lagging in global innovation and AI drivers and reiterated the need to invest in digital infrastructure to support the transition and promote widespread technology adoption.
Concerning the Government’s proposals, the minister discussed the intention to launch “a digital skills pact” ensuring “social inclusion, digital literacy for all citizens regardless of their location and social condition, in partnership with the business sector and directed towards concrete employment opportunities.”
Speaking to journalists, the official stated that the Government’s program “is focused on putting citizens and companies at the center of public decision-making, and using the available tools, technology, and AI, as a means to simplify, facilitate, and digitalize the economy.”
