The decision of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) to allocate €123,500 for the development of an application by Matchful, which uses, among other things, algorithms of astrology and numerology, has raised questions among some members of society regarding the appropriateness of using public funds, writes Latvijas Avīze.
The question arises: should European taxpayers' money be directed towards a project based on an esoteric approach?
Doubts have also emerged regarding the ambitious promises of Matchful Group, which the company uses to attract investors. The founder of the enterprise, Vilnis Priedeitis, claims that the application could potentially be used by 500 million people, and its market potential reaches 50 billion euros.
"I don’t understand. Decades of in-depth research on astrological and numerological forecasts allow us to conclude that their results are random and lack empirical or systematic justification. The support of the LIAA for a pseudoscientific project signals that it is enough to mention 'artificial intelligence' or 'algorithm' in the application to receive public funding," said entrepreneur and consultant Davis Sunep in an interview with Latvijas Avīze.
In his opinion, state funds should be directed towards science, not pseudoscientific projects that can be disproven by data.
"Such support creates the impression that in Latvia, 'artificial intelligence' includes horoscope applications, rather than evidence-based innovations."
In response, Elina Alika, head of the support department at LIAA, emphasizes that each project is evaluated according to established criteria. Referring to the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations, she explains that support is provided for the development and implementation of artificial intelligence solutions without industry restrictions, except for specified areas related to, for example, arms trade, alcohol or tobacco, gambling, and other explicitly mentioned directions. Esotericism, astrology, and numerology are not among the exceptions.
"This means that projects in such a field also fall under the program's conditions. The goal of this project is to create an integrated artificial intelligence platform that automates data processing and analysis, reducing manual labor and contributing to the growth of the company's internal productivity. This aligns with the program's objectives. Following the assessment, it was determined that Matchful Partners LLC is entitled to enter into a contract for the implementation of the project and to receive support," Alika explained.
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