New technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), come with challenges and a wide range of vulnerabilities, said Dan Cimpean, Director of the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC), on Tuesday at the Romania Digital Forum.

'We are witnessing a digital transformation, a transformation in the use of new technologies, that is extremely rapid and disruptive. It is happening whether we want it or not. It is driven by the need to increase efficiency, optimise processes, reduce costs and enhance competitiveness across the economy. Naturally, these digital technologies come with challenges and numerous vulnerabilities. Compared with 15, 10 or even 5 years ago, the pace at which they are brought to market, implemented and delivered to users, companies and organisations of all kinds is extremely fast. We remember that it once took years for a solution, platform or application to be developed, tested, validated and revalidated before implementation even began. That cycle has now been reduced to months, even weeks. AI has accelerated the development of solutions (...), meaning junior developers are facing significant challenges at the moment because AI is increasingly performing tasks that would previously have been theirs and is affecting their career prospects. AI itself also develops solutions that contain flaws and vulnerabilities (...). On the other hand, I genuinely believe we have no alternative but to move forward decisively and at speed with digitalisation and transformation. Digital transformation is probably the most appropriate term,' Cimpean said.

He added that many small companies are developing important solutions but are not promoting them sufficiently to gain wider recognition.

'I am very pleased to see that there are many companies and experts from Romania, from Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara and elsewhere, who have adapted very quickly. I have only one criticism to make. Quite frankly, they do not speak enough about what they have achieved and they do not present their solutions with enough visibility. There is a misplaced sense of modesty and a reluctance to explain what has been accomplished. I have spoken with many companies, especially smaller ones. Larger companies do a reasonably good job, but smaller firms still tend to think: perhaps my solution is not good enough, perhaps it needs more testing or validation. Given that global technology providers release solutions to the market immediately for instant use, despite many known vulnerabilities, it seems counterproductive that solutions designed to address these concerns, solve problems, close vulnerabilities and strengthen infrastructure resilience are not adopted much more quickly. We are seeing a very interesting dynamic,' the head of the DNSC said.

The development of industry in the context of the technological revolution and the competitiveness of Romanian companies in the digital era are among the topics being discussed on Tuesday at the eighth edition of the Romania Digital Forum, organised by Financial Intelligence. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Badea; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)