Croatia is drafting the National Plan for the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for 2026-2028, Minister of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan said on May 27, according to a government statement. 

The upcoming national plan will include specific measures, timelines and budget allocations, the minister said, with a focus on four core areas: encouraging innovation and research, digitalising the economy, developing AI governance skills and ensuring the security of citizens’ data.

Habijan said that AI will transform the country’s labour market in the coming years, eliminating millions of existing jobs while creating entirely new ones.

“Many of the jobs we know today will disappear in the coming years,” Habijan told reporters ahead of a meeting of the working group tasked with drafting the plan. “Just as the jobs you had a hundred years ago no longer exist.”

Habijan said the impact of AI would balance out over time, with job losses offset by new employment opportunities. “After adding up all the job losses and gains caused by the development of artificial intelligence, we will be left with zero,” he said.

“The focus of the plan is on encouraging innovation and research, digitalising the economy, developing artificial intelligence management skills and on the security of our citizens' data,” Habijan said.

The AI strategy is being developed by a working group comprising representatives from government institutions, academia and the private sector. Habijan expressed confidence that the plan would be adopted quickly.

“One of the most important goals of this ministry is to position Croatia where it should be in terms of artificial intelligence,” he said. “The private sector, in terms of development and investment in artificial intelligence, has come quite far. Now it is time for the state to provide the private sector with support and a normative framework.”

Croatia, an EU member state, is aiming to align its digital transformation policies with broader European Union objectives, including the responsible deployment of AI technologies and safeguarding against potential abuses. The national strategy will complement EU-wide initiatives to regulate AI while fostering innovation and competitiveness.