People pose for photo with a humanoid robot at the AI Summit Budapest 2026 in Budapest, Hungary on Sept. 7, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

　　Hungary"s Minister of Science and Technology Zoltan Tanacs said AI can be "salvation or total catastrophe," stressing that governments should embrace innovation while putting appropriate safeguards in place as AI capabilities advance.

　　BUDAPEST, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Policymakers, researchers and industry leaders gathered at AI Summit Budapest 2026 on Monday and Tuesday to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) development, governance and applications as the technology rapidly reshapes economies and societies.

　　The two-day summit brought together more than 300 speakers for discussions ranging from frontier AI models and digital infrastructure to governance and practical applications.

　　Opening the summit, Hungary"s Minister of Science and Technology Zoltan Tanacs described AI as a technology that lies "between two extremes" -- "salvation or total catastrophe." He said governments should embrace innovation while putting appropriate safeguards in place as AI capabilities advance.

　　As part of its AI strategy, Hungary plans to invest 500 million euros (581.2 U.S. dollars) in AI development programs over the coming years and join the European AI Gigafactory initiative, which aims to strengthen Europe"s AI computing infrastructure.

　　Tanacs said Hungary also plans to expand AI education and university research, attract leading AI developers and improve AI literacy among businesses and the public.

　　Addressing participants via video, Jin Xiaoming, president of the China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation, warned that unequal access to AI technology and governance could widen what he called the "innovation divide."