A Critical Moment for Poland’s AI Development
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming global industries, from cybersecurity to healthcare and energy. Countries worldwide are racing to integrate AI into their economies, with governments and corporations forming strategic partnerships to gain a competitive edge.
Poland, long seen as a rising player in the European tech scene, has now secured a major collaboration with Google. The initiative aims to boost AI development in key sectors, providing access to cutting-edge technology. However, some experts are questioning whether this partnership will truly benefit Poland in the long run—or if it risks making the country overly reliant on foreign tech giants.
Google’s Investment: A Step Forward or a Modest Gesture?
On February 13, 2025, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, signed a memorandum with the Polish Development Fund. During the announcement, Pichai stated that ambitions and talent give Poland a new position in European innovation and emphasized that the country would gain access to advanced AI tools.
Despite the promising rhetoric, the scale of the investment has led to mixed reactions. Google has pledged five million dollars over five years to support digital skills training in Poland—an amount some consider insufficient. Critics have pointed out that this equates to just one million dollars per year, which many believe is too small to make a meaningful impact on AI development.
According to an analysis by WP Tech, the investment has even become the subject of jokes, with some skeptics referring to it as five dollars per citizen rather than a transformative initiative.
Expert Concerns: Dependency vs. Self-Sufficiency
Maciej Szymański, an AI expert from SpeakLeash and co-creator of the Polish AI model Bielik AI, sees both opportunities and risks in Google’s investment.
There is always a huge opportunity surrounding such initiatives, he told WP Tech. However, he also expressed concerns about Poland relying too much on American corporations.
Instead of creating our own know-how, we are establishing direct ties with foreign tech giants. In this way, we are becoming vassals of the United States.
Szymański pointed to the case of Silo AI, a Scandinavian company that developed an AI model for Nordic languages. Eventually, AMD acquired the entire project for over five hundred million dollars, transferring all expertise and intellectual property to an American corporation. He warns that Poland could face a similar fate if it does not prioritize homegrown AI innovation.
The Future of AI in Poland
To avoid over-reliance on foreign firms, Szymański argues that Poland must develop its own AI ecosystem by attracting international experts and providing local talent with opportunities to innovate.
