From 28th to 30th April 2026, the Rural Support Service (RSS) are participating in the Panta Rhei conference in Dublin, Ireland. This event is attended by representatives from all EU paying agencies, as well as from candidate countries, the European Commission and other organisations.
RSS colleagues Kristīne Ilgaža and Indulis Āboliņš were leading a working group at the conference. The working group aimed to share experiences of using MI in paying agencies and generate new ideas for its future application.
During the workshop, participants were asked to answer a variety of questions and analyse various everyday work situations at the agencies.
This was an excellent opportunity for the Rural Support Service to share its experience and ideas on how and where artificial intelligence could be utilised. It was also beneficial for all paying agencies, as the ideas inspired everyone to seek new solutions.
Key conclusions and insights drawn during the working group:
- the exchange of ideas and experiences among member states is important;
- in agency work processes where tasks are repetitive, data must be analyzed, images processed, and other tasks performed;
- it is always important to assess resources—does what is necessary for an agency with 800 employees also apply to a smaller agency?
- AI allows for the automation of tasks where employees might burn out due to heavy workloads;
- AI saves time, but currently often requires significant financial resources;
- attention must be paid to the secure use of data;
- it is important to assess risks when implementing AI;
- employee training on the use of AI is necessary, etc.
