Czech Republic AI Strategy 2030

Overview

The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Czech Republic 2030 (NAIS 2030) is the Czech Government’s strategic policy framework for the development and use of artificial intelligence through 2030. It updates the 2019 national AI strategy in response to rapid technological development, the growth of generative AI, and new international and European initiatives, including the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The strategy’s central vision is for the Czech Republic to become a significant AI centre with innovative businesses and excellent research and development results, while creating appropriate conditions for ethical AI use to address economic, governmental and societal challenges.

NAIS 2030 is not itself an act, regulation, or direct source of enforceable obligations for private persons. Instead, it sets policy objectives, indicative measures and institutional responsibilities. Concrete projects, deadlines, responsible entities and funding requirements are to be specified in a linked Action Plan. The strategy therefore operates as a coordinating instrument across public administration, research institutions, businesses, social partners, civil society and the wider Czech AI ecosystem. Its approach combines innovation and competitiveness goals with human-rights protection, cybersecurity, economic security, transparency, inclusion and environmental sustainability.

Definitions

The strategy uses “AI” as the abbreviation for umělá inteligence, or artificial intelligence. It does not establish a standalone statutory definition of an AI system. Instead, it places national policy in the context of international and EU developments, noting the OECD definition of an AI system and its relevance to the European legislative framework. The strategy distinguishes binding rules from “soft-law” tools, describing soft law as non-binding sets of rules such as ethical principles, recommendations, standards, guidance and voluntary codes of conduct.

Other recurring concepts include trustworthy and human-centred AI. A human-centred approach requires protection of individual rights and interests throughout AI decision-making and the AI lifecycle. The strategy treats human rights as legally protected standards for which the Czech Republic has international responsibility, whereas ethics is described as a philosophical rather than legal category that may guide decision-making. “Security” encompasses both operational safety and protection against unlawful or harmful activity, while economic security concerns supply-chain dependencies, sensitive technology transfer, foreign investment and risks associated with potentially unreliable suppliers.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The Government of the Czech Republic approves NAIS 2030 and is to approve the related Action Plan through the implementation-plan process of Digital Czech Republic. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) is the principal coordinator of national AI policy and is responsible for coordinating implementation with the lead bodies and co-lead bodies assigned to each strategic area. Within MPO, the Department of Digital Economy and Smart Specialisation supports the functioning of the AI Committee, prepares coordination materials and represents the Czech Republic in relevant international forums.

The principal steering body is the Committee for Artificial Intelligence (Výbor pro AI), a standing advisory and coordinating body within the structure of the Government Council for the Information Society and its Committee for Digital Economy and Society. The AI Committee coordinates fulfilment of NAIS objectives, oversees goals, decides whether proposed initiatives should be included in the Action Plan, approves updates and evaluations, and prepares positions on AI-related legislative and non-legislative initiatives. It meets at least twice each year. A strategic working group chaired by MPO coordinates implementation at working level, supported by thematic working groups covering each of the seven key areas.

Key Focus Areas

The strategy identifies seven interdependent policy areas. First, research, development and innovation aims to improve research and testing infrastructure, attract and retain excellent researchers, support AI chairs and doctoral programmes, expand access to compute and data, accelerate scientific discoveries, and improve technology transfer. Second, education and AI expertise addresses responsible use of AI in teaching, teacher development, updated curricula, talent support, higher education and public awareness. Third, AI skills and labour-market impacts seeks flexible labour-market adaptation, retraining, lifelong learning, digital-skills development and prevention of digital exclusion.

The remaining areas concern legal and ethical issues, security, business, and public administration. Legal and ethical policy seeks predictable and innovation-friendly rules, effective supervision, alignment with human rights, and voluntary codes and guidance. Security policy addresses secure-by-design and secure-by-default systems, cyber resilience, manipulation of data or models, supply-chain resilience and harmful technology transfer. Industry policy supports AI start-ups, venture capital, digital transformation of SMEs, regulatory sandboxes and advanced AI solutions. Public-administration policy promotes quality data, interoperable infrastructure, staff training, high security standards, transparency, equal opportunity and carefully assessed deployment of AI in public services.

Implementation Framework

NAIS 2030 is implemented through an Action Plan that follows the model used for Digital Czech Republic implementation plans, especially the Digital Economy and Society concept. The Action Plan is intended to translate strategic objectives and indicative measures into defined initiatives. Each initiative may concern a legislative amendment, decree, methodological standard, digital or shared service, major system change, subsidy programme, funding call or other financial instrument. Before approval, an initiative must have an identified owner and approval from the lead body for the relevant strategic area.

The initiative cycle includes drafting by the initiative owner, discussion in the relevant AI Committee working group, approval by the relevant lead body and AI Committee, inclusion in the catalogue of initiatives, implementation, progress reporting and closure. MPO and the responsible lead bodies coordinate contributions from co-leads and other affected institutions. The catalogue is maintained through the ArchiREPO knowledge-management platform and records the initiative title, description, implementation schedule, responsible and cooperating bodies, resource requirements and milestones. New initiatives are approved and included once per year during the regular update of Digital Czech Republic implementation plans.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring occurs annually through the AI Committee. The strategy uses contextual indicators and performance indicators. Contextual indicators draw on regular statistical surveys, international indexes and comparative assessments to track broader trends and the Czech Republic’s position over time. The strategy specifically identifies the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index, Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index, OECD AI Policy Observatory data, Czech Statistical Office data on ICT use in businesses, and Digital Decade indicators as relevant sources.

One identified Digital Decade target is for 16% of Czech businesses to use AI by 2030. Performance indicators are linked to the Action Plan and measure the progress of individual initiatives supporting strategy objectives. The AI Committee is responsible for proposing, approving and updating those indicators so they remain responsive to technological and ecosystem developments. In addition to annual monitoring, the strategy requires regular biennial reports approved by the AI Committee. These reports are to assess implementation by key area and objective, the delivery of Action Plan initiatives, changes in contextual and performance indicators, and financial resources allocated and spent.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

NAIS 2030 does not itself establish administrative offences, civil liability rules, monetary penalties, appeal rights, enforcement procedures or direct sanctions. As a policy document, it seeks to support the implementation and effective enforcement of binding legal requirements arising from applicable Czech, EU and international law. It recognizes that the AI Act and related EU instruments create obligations relevant to AI providers, deployers and other actors, but the strategy does not reproduce or independently impose those legal duties.

Instead, the strategy calls for adequate expert, financial, material and staffing capacity for competent supervisory authorities, cooperation among national supervisory authorities for the digital economy, and participation in EU coordination structures. It also supports targeted communication and guidance for businesses, especially SMEs, about applicable AI-law obligations. The strategy refers to a regulatory sandbox as a mechanism through which AI solutions may be tested under supervisory conditions, including testing in real-world conditions where legally available. Questions of product liability and fault-based liability remain governed by applicable legal instruments rather than by this strategy.

Relationship to Other Instruments

NAIS 2030 forms part of the broader Digital Czech Republic programme, especially its Digital Economy and Society pillar. Its Action Plan is expressly integrated into the implementation-plan architecture of Digital Czech Republic. The strategy also identifies close connections with the Czech Republic’s strategic digitalisation plan to 2030, the National Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation 2021–2027 (RIS3), national research and innovation policy, employment policy, cybersecurity strategy, security and defence strategies, consumer policy, climate and energy instruments, and the public-administration data-management strategy for 2024–2030.

At EU level, the strategy treats the AI Act as a central regulatory instrument and supports coordinated national implementation. It also identifies the General Data Protection Regulation, Data Act, Digital Services Act, Platform-to-Business Regulation, Cyber Resilience Act and relevant sectoral legislation as part of the legal environment affecting AI. The strategy stresses that national measures should be complementary to EU rules, technologically neutral where appropriate, evidence-based, resilient to future technological developments and proportionate so that compliance does not impose unnecessary administrative or financial burdens, particularly on SMEs and start-ups.

International Alignment

The strategy aligns Czech policy with international cooperation on trustworthy, safe and human-centred AI. It refers to OECD AI principles and the OECD AI-system definition, UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, G7 Hiroshima AI Process work, the Bletchley Declaration, UN initiatives, ITU standardisation activity, GPAI and NATO’s AI strategy. The Czech Republic became a GPAI member in 2022. The strategy supports active Czech participation in international discussions, standardisation, research partnerships, scientific diplomacy and exchange of best practices with trusted partners.

European cooperation is especially significant. NAIS 2030 supports Czech engagement in EU research, innovation and infrastructure programmes, including Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, EuroHPC, European Digital Innovation Hubs and AI testing and experimentation facilities. It also acknowledges the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 2024-05-17. International cooperation is qualified by security concerns: research partnerships, technology transfer and supply relationships should account for risks of unwanted transfer of sensitive AI technologies, data, know-how or strategic information to risky state or non-state actors.

Implementation Timeline

Compliance Checklist

Sources and References