Eesti.ai team gains three new members

Kirke Maar, the head of the team, says that the team’s expansion will bring with it both new expertise and practical experience in implementing large-scale projects. “The Eesti.ai initiative is all about making Estonia the world’s smartest nation when it comes to AI,” she said. “People here are already making active use of AI, with our youngsters being the second most active users in Europe, and our population as a whole the fourth most active. The team’s task is to think about how AI solutions can create the most value for our people and our economy. We’re delighted that such strong experts are joining us.”

Mari-Liis Lind is a tech education and innovation leader who has launched a number of tech communities and initiatives and done much to bring young people and women into the technology sector. Her strength lies in seeing ideas through from initial thought to functioning system, building up teams, shaping processes and growing initiatives into platforms with a lasting impact. She brings to the Eesti.ai team strength in operational management and perspectives on AI ethics and risk management. In addition, she has been at the forefront of launching and organising the Tallinn Digital Summit, which has made Estonia a focal point for discussions of the global digital transformation.

Katrin Isotamm is an entrepreneur and communications expert. She co-founded the start-up Esgrid and has worked on sustainability and strategic communication initiatives in a variety of sectors, including as the Head of Communications and ESG in the Omniva Group and Telia Estonia, and as the Head of Communications in the Swedbank Group. In earlier roles she worked extensively on the social impact of digital culture and technology. As a member of the Eesti.ai team she will be leading the promotion of AI skills among the population.

Luukas Kristjan Ilves is an expert in digital citizenship, technology policy and AI implementation, guiding the ambitions of leading international digital economies in regard to the latter. He was the founder of the Agentic State initiative. He served as the IT lead and Undersecretary for Digital Development for the Estonian state from 2022-2024 and led the country’s digital policy work during its presidency of the European Union. He has worked in the European Commission and been a member of both the Lisbon Council think tank and the technology company Guardtime. He has also chaired the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Ethics and Human Rights in Artificial Intelligence, and created Apsakaleidja, an AI-based tool that automatically analyses draft acts in the Riigikogu for errors and inconsistencies. He will continue to work in parallel as an advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on AI issues.

The Eesti.ai team will compile its initial programme and working plan by 8 April, when the first formal meeting of the initiative’s advisory board is scheduled to take place. The goal of Eesti.ai is to increase the value of Estonian people’s work and the economy through the systematic implementation of AI.