No need to be Telegram账号盗号破解技术afraid of AI, at the heart of it all is the human being again: Ralph Yirikian

November 21, 2025  20:25

Today we are witnessing the transformation that is taking place, and when we talk about transformation, it does not only refer to equipment, programs, but also to the way of thinking, the development of technological education. It means believing, understanding, comprehending all this, and working to develop the infrastructure of the future. This was stated by Ucom CEO Ralph Yirikian in an interview with NEWS.am Tech within the framework of the Silicon Mountains 2025 international technology summit.

Ucom is the dictator of the digitalization agenda

Ralph Yirikian notes that Ucom is an important player in the telecommunications sector and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is also a leader in the digitalization agenda. According to him, when the company started talking about digitalization and digital transformation years ago, people had no idea what it was.

"We recently announced the launch of 5G, and for us it is not a question of speed. Talking about speed is a thing of the past, we are saying that today we are laying the foundation of the digital ecosystem in Armenia. The foundation for creating the platform, the infrastructure, which should serve the development in the future, which we strive for, or have the ambition to achieve," he said, adding that it is not just words, it has already become work.

Ucom announced last year that it would build networks and platforms, and now they can show the work done. “And it will be continuous, and will not be limited to one city or capital. It is for all of Armenia, for all the people who live in our country. We must understand together that we need that transformation, because that is the future. We are going there and digital is becoming an integral part of our lives. From the phone, car, home computer and cameras to the equipment in our home, which already operates in some digital mode. That is the digital mindset, it has already entered our lives,” the director of Ucom announced.

No need to be afraid of AI, at the heart of it all is the human being again

"People sometimes fear digital transformation, artificial intelligence, etc., but we shouldn't be afraid, because at the heart of all this is man, man creates, man leads or manages all these programs, and man decides how this digital idea or that digital solution should work. That's why we need to take all this and move towards the future," said Ralph Yirikian.

According to him, the telecommunications sector is quite competitive. "I'm not saying this to throw in the towel on our fellow competitors, but I'm saying that we have no option, we have no alternative, the world is developing, so it's our responsibility, our duty, our obligation to have that development in Armenia and deliver it to our population, to the economy. If we're talking about digital development, artificial intelligence, then we need to bring what's out there and have it in Armenia."

According to Ralph Yirikian, this has already happened in the past, when we were talking about 3G, 4G, and fast internet. "Although today we are no longer discussing speed, we are discussing technologies, capabilities, and programs, and this must be implemented, and the sector is doing that," he emphasized.

Ucom starts technological development from the regions

Ralph Yirikian says it is wrong for technological thinking to be focused on Yerevan. “About ten days ago, we launched our fifth-generation network specifically in the regions, because Armenia is not just Yerevan, not just Gyumri, but all of Armenia, with all its villages, mountains, valleys, and plains.

"Before coming to Yerevan, we will do a lot of work in the regions, because our message is very clear: Armenia is everyone, and it would be right for us to start from the regions," emphasized the General Director of Ucom.

According to him, the regions should not be neglected, work should be done in the regions as well. "That's why we started with the regions, and this will be followed by announcements about the fifth generation," he noted.

Armenia has the potential to ensure IT development, and it can also be exported

Ralph Yirikian says that the Silicon Mountains International Technology Summit encourages the ideology of digitalization, gives people who have improved people's lives with technological solutions the opportunity to gather in our country, present their journey, share their experience in our audience, and talk about the future.

"It gives our youth the opportunity to ask them questions, to learn. We have many young people who are already creating startups, working, thinking in that direction, and for them this experience is very useful. 

At the same time, it is interesting for those who come from abroad to see Armenia, which, although small, has many technological opportunities, to see the mindset in Armenia, the development, the leap that our country is experiencing, the large organizations that are opening their branches here. This means that yes, Armenia has the potential, the ability and the technology to develop the sector and even export it to the wider world," Yirikyan emphasized.

AI will enter every area of ​​life: We need to be able to use it correctly

The director of Ucom notes that 50 years ago there was no color TV, 10 years ago there were no self-driving cars powered by AI. But now they exist, and that is development, the future, which we should not be afraid of, but should try to delve deeper, study better, and arm ourselves with knowledge.

"Then it will be easier, easier to understand and easier to digest new approaches in our minds. Today it is artificial intelligence, tomorrow it may be a different topic, next month it may be another topic, because technology is developing very quickly. Artificial intelligence will enter our daily lives everywhere, and we will have to come to terms with it, and it would be right to learn it, to use it," he said.

Claims that some people will lose their jobs as a result of the AI are propaganda

Ralph Yirikian says that "claims that some people will lose their jobs as a result of artificial intelligence are propaganda, and we should not be concerned about it."

"I don't believe in that, because any program is made to work by a person. Today there is a shortage of engineers, it is a shortage of labor. For example, there may be no need for a certain job or position, but other opportunities open up. It has always been like this: before, people used to go from one place to another by horse, then came the car, now the car transports people without a driver. In other words, there is a need for an engineer, programmer, designer, etc. If before, many people wanted to study accounting, now they want to study artificial intelligence. The way of thinking is changing, trends are changing," he noted.

The Silicon Mountains-2025 international technology summit was held in Yerevan on November 15. This year, the event had more than 1,000 participants. This time, the summit was dedicated to the application and challenges of AI in the economy. There were individual speeches and panel discussions during the event.

The first panel discussion, titled Industry.ai, discussed the development and application of AI in various industries. The second panel discussion, titled Invest.ai, was dedicated to the financial aspects of AI, the benefits of investing in the creation, development, and application of AI. The third panel discussion, titled Impact.ai, discussed the social impact of AI.

The event’s special guests were Infosys founder and laureate of the RA State Prize 2025, Narayana Murthy, and Sasha Ahne, Director of SIEMENS EDA for Central and Northern Europe.

The summit is held with the support of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia. The platinum partner of the summit is Ucom.

The media partner of the event is the NEWS.am information and analytical agency.

The summit's partners also include EasyPay, Visa, Synospys, Staffmedia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, USAID, and UNICOMP.