Public debate about artificial intelligence (AI) is still polarized: some claim it can solve every problem, others warn of unforeseeable risks. Mucsányi Marianna, the main organizer of the AI Summit, points to a more pragmatic issue: how the economy, and especially Hungarian businesses, will actually use the technology.
The role of the AI Summit
The AI Summit aims to bridge the gap between the general public interested in the technology and subject-matter experts. The event functions as a conference, exhibition and networking opportunity: it welcomes those who are only just discovering AI while also providing space for professional presentations. This year, talks will be labeled to indicate whether they are aimed at a general audience or at specialists.
Aczél Petra, communication researcher and professor at Széchenyi István Egyetem, is a regular expert guest on the Summit’s podcast.
Why this is a moment to join in
Mucsányi Marianna says this is a genuine entry moment: AI is not a technology that merits waiting years to see who fails. Those who do not begin thinking about AI now risk falling behind. While the European conversation about AI tends to be based on a similar knowledge base, economic attitudes differ across countries: in Italy, for example, many startups and companies actively showcase their AI developments because they see business opportunities, whereas in Hungary many firms still lack a clear intent to enter the field.
Barriers in the Hungarian corporate environment
Several obstacles stand in the way of AI integration for domestic companies:
- lack of expertise;
- uncertainty about what AI should be used for and at what cost;
- an ingrained habit of waiting to see what competitors do.
That wait-and-see stance can be dangerous with a rapidly evolving technology.
Informal practices and the efficiency challenge
Mucsányi Marianna notes that Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often still operate with informal processes: in some companies, work organisation, decision-making or business processes are still partly run on "graph paper." As long as a company believes a technology investment will not produce immediate profit growth, it tends to stick with established practices. At the same time, AI can amplify existing efficiency problems — companies that want to grow in a small market need to think internationally.
That requires more than a good idea or a one-off development: collaboration, data awareness, management culture and the recognition that not every firm has to reinvent the same technology.
It’s more than technology
The discussion emphasizes that AI is not merely a technical issue: it increasingly reveals how adaptable a country, company or leader is. Three typical attitudes emerge: those who view AI as a miracle will not exploit it; those who see it as a threat will fall behind; and those who treat it as business culture, an efficiency tool and a collaborative opportunity can still enter the competition in time.
(Photo: Garun .Prdt)
Discussion topics covered
The podcast touches on numerous topics, including how we currently communicate about AI; the purpose of the AI Summit; whether AI is still in a hype phase; whether Budapest can become a regional AI hub; what holds Hungarian companies back from AI integration; how AI accelerates development cycles; why succession is a major issue for Hungarian SMEs; and why Hungary is strong in healthcare AI innovations.
Earlier podcast episodes are available for listeners who want to explore the subject in more depth.
