AI,长沙代付USDT操作 economy, finance and education: Yerevan hosts Silicon Mountains-2025 International Tech Summit

November 16, 2025  10:00

The 7th Silicon Mountains-2025 International Tech Summit was held in Yerevan on November 15.

The main theme of this year was the role of artificial intelligence (AI). Three panel discussions were held as part of the event, during which speakers discussed the impact of AI on the economy, the financial sector, and social processes.

AI and the economy

The first Industry.ai panel discussed the development and application of artificial intelligence in various fields.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan noted that technological solutions and the connection of artificial intelligence with various sectors of the economy can bring serious benefits and advantages. He said that artificial intelligence is a priority direction of development in the high-tech sector in Armenia.

Arshakyan reminded that Armenia has traditions, and they try not to deviate from them.

"Armenia was the Silicon Valley of the USSR, and today there are major market players in the country who have moved their research institutes here. Many multinational companies are represented in Armenia, which create the necessary connection with the outside world. The role of the Diaspora also has a positive impact on the Armenian ecosystem," the vice-speaker noted.

He noted that technology will affect all professions.

"At the same time, artificial intelligence will not have as serious an impact on Armenian agriculture as it does in other sectors. Weather, supply chains, and other factors will still be key. Seven percent of Armenia's GDP is provided by the high-tech sector, which employs about 30,000 engineers," Arshakyan emphasized.

Belgian Ambassador to Armenia Eric de Muynck noted that his role is to establish ties between the technological communities of the two countries. He expressed admiration for the development of the high-tech sector in Armenia, considering the country's uniqueness to be that the Diaspora is also seriously involved in Armenia's technological development.

The ambassador is convinced that children in Armenia have achieved success in the field of programming and robotics. According to the diplomat, Armat, TUMO and other similar projects provide an opportunity to develop human resources.

"In addition, many Belgian businessmen are not aware of this potential in Armenia, where a rather promising ecosystem has been formed," explained Eric de Muynck.

The ambassador called artificial intelligence a geopolitical challenge, pointing out the importance of investing resources in education, which will help dispel fears. 

“We need to prepare young people for these challenges and introduce them to new technologies, even if not everyone will work in this field. AI can increase the attractiveness of agriculture for Armenian youth, given that there is such a problem in Armenia,” the diplomat noted.

Synopsys Armenia President Yervant Zorian is also confident that Armenia can influence the development of artificial intelligence, but in certain directions, and it is necessary to choose those directions on which to focus.

According to Zorian, Armenia has serious human potential, and this can be used for the development of these sectors and the production of products for export.

“We will always need engineers, and artificial intelligence will help them work with large volumes of information,” the President of Synopsys expressed confidence. In his opinion, artificial intelligence can be useful in any field.

Zorian doesn't see any areas where AI can harm: "Artificial intelligence should do the simple work, and we should focus on solving complex problems," he added.

Sasha Ahnen, Area Director for Central and Northern Europe at Siemens EDA, noted that in Central Europe, women are not as actively choosing technology professions as in Armenia, where more and more women are working in this field.

Ahnen expressed confidence that the demand for engineers will increase several times, and artificial intelligence will help maintain this pace, and if the capabilities of AI are used wisely, there will be more opportunities than risks.

"There are shares in the global market that other countries can grab. Armenia is capable of achieving success in terms of AI, the country is capable of competing in the global market. At the same time, artificial intelligence is not a threat to traditional sectors, it only provides an opportunity to use resources more efficiently. All new technologies are fraught with risks, and society must use them correctly, which is why raising the educational level of society is important," Ahnen emphasized.

AI and finance

The second panel discussion at Invest.ai was dedicated to the financial aspects of AI, the benefits of investing in AI creation, development, and deployment. Participants discussed how AI impacts investment strategies, financial predictability, and investment performance for financial institutions, investment funds, and individual investors across various sectors.

During the discussion, Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Ruben Simonyan called for readiness for artificial intelligence, changes in this field, and for more investments in the development of labor resources.

"Armenia has talents, and there is a basis for responding to challenges. In addition, a good ecosystem has been formed. We are increasing the attractiveness of the sector and providing autonomy and freedom of work," the official noted.

From the perspective of the development of artificial intelligence, he described the need for infrastructure development as a challenge: the availability of reliable connectivity (5G, 6G), the creation of new data centers that will be updated over time, etc.

"Talent and labor resources are the basis for being ready for challenges. Legislative flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing conditions are also important.

Armenia is capable of becoming a regional center for artificial intelligence. Many international companies are represented in Armenia and are working in this direction, but we must help and do everything for a rapid transformation. Resources need to be directed to all these aspects.

Armenia must first compete with its neighbors – Georgia, Turkey, as well as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It is difficult to compete with Israel, Singapore or Ireland, since these countries made important decisions 30 years ago,” the deputy minister said.

The Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, Martin Galstyan, called for a global approach to working towards the introduction of artificial intelligence, as it will be difficult for Armenia to take any steps alone, but our country can become part of the global market.

"There are both positive and negative challenges in terms of using AI. The benefit can be increased productivity. However, in the labor market we may face challenges, we must be prepared for this, if, for example, people are laid off and replaced by robots. Artificial intelligence should come to the aid of workers and strengthen their capabilities," he noted.

“We have created an ecosystem for newcomers and, together with the government, have developed a strategy for the development of high technologies. There is a chip war going on all over the world, and Armenia can benefit from the changes if it acts correctly and decisively.

Armenia should be more transparent to the global market and strive to supply ready-made products. Products in the field of artificial intelligence are being produced in Armenia, but there are no Armenian products. This is exactly what we need to work on,” he added.

Zara Ohanyan, Principal Manager of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), stated that the Bank's goal is to introduce international knowledge to Armenia, striving to support small and medium-sized businesses.

He said that a significant portion of small and medium-sized businesses are ready for artificial intelligence, depending on the specific company's industry and geographical location. "We strive to provide support to rural communities as well, and we are confident that Armenia can achieve success in this area," Ohanyan emphasized.

George Chaparian, CEO of the Open Compute Project (OCP) Foundation, is also confident that Armenia can become another Singapore.

He expressed hope that Armenia will be able to effectively use tourism and trade, apply best international practices, and use the potential of the Diaspora for development.

Chaparian noted the need to invest in youth development, expressing confidence that Armenia will make breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence.

AI and education

The third Impact.ai panel debate discussed issues related to the social consequences of the use of artificial intelligence.

Ucom General Director Ralph Yirikian stated that some people know what AI is, while for many it is just a nice title; they do not know what it is.

"When private business says it wants to invest in artificial intelligence, it prepares an appropriate environment for it and learns. Not having knowledge about artificial intelligence, people are afraid that they will become unemployed, while this is not the case. There is no need to be afraid of technological changes. I do not think that we should be afraid or think that we do not need it.

Any technological innovation is a necessity, but the question is whether we use it to benefit people or to harm them. The answers to this question also depend on people. We can use technology either for the benefit of people or to destroy them. It is necessary to look positively and strive to develop technologies and use them for the benefit of people," Yirikian noted.

In his opinion, the employer is also obliged to provide conditions for employees to receive education and accumulate new knowledge.

“When we are armed with knowledge and know that such technology is not dangerous, but on the contrary, creates new opportunities, then we are ready to take our bold step towards development. We must learn what we do not know, acquire new knowledge. Only then will we reach a point where one day someone abroad will say: ‘Let's apply Armenia's experience.’

When we talk about technological development, we need to develop infrastructure, Ucom is doing just that, and it contributes to the development of the digital agenda," Yirikian noted.

He reminded that Ucom is introducing 5G technology in Armenia, pointing out the importance of implementing these works not only in Yerevan, but also throughout the republic, so that everyone has access to this technology.

"We have become the company that dictates the construction of that infrastructure," noted the CEO of Ucom.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan, in turn, recalled that COVID-19 revealed both the positive and negative aspects of distance learning.

"AI offers significant opportunities for serious changes, and the use of new technologies in education has increased dramatically, including in the field of teacher training. At the same time, artificial intelligence in education is still underused to make serious judgments," the minister said.

He happily noted that Armenia is one of the few countries that has introduced the subject of artificial intelligence into the school curriculum.

"At the same time, children are very motivated, their progress is improving. However, AI research must be accompanied by high-quality teaching of mathematics and other subjects. And that means we must raise the level of teaching of these subjects. Our universities are also keeping pace with the times, for example, the foundation has been laid for the creation of an artificial intelligence center at Yerevan State University, this will be a very important direction of our work," Andreasyan noted.

She added that education is not just the transfer of knowledge, education also has socio-psychological aspects.

"COVID has shown that distance learning has led to socialization problems for students and pupils. The impact of artificial intelligence is already there, and we must accept that reality, but we must also take into account the experience we have gained. It is necessary to understand the possibilities and limits of using technologies and be able to control unwanted consequences," the minister concluded.