Shaping the Future with Artificial Intelligence

According to the Governor, artificial intelligence is “transforming the way we work, live, do business and communicate with one another”. The Digitalisation Monitor 2025 ranks Lower Austria third among Austria’s federal provinces in terms of AI adoption. Thirty-nine per cent of Lower Austrians already use AI applications, while almost one-third also use AI in a professional context.
“Artificial intelligence has arrived in people’s everyday lives,” she stated. “That is why we now need greater guidance, stronger digital skills and clear rules.” She added: “Our ambition is clear: we want to seize the opportunities that AI offers. We want to shape our future actively.”

AI as a Central Pillar of Lower Austria’s Future Strategy

Governor Mikl-Leitner stressed that Lower Austria is not starting from scratch. The province introduced its first digitalisation strategy in 2018 and opened the House of Digitalisation in Tulln in 2022. Building on these foundations, the newly established AI Advisory Board developed eight guiding principles for the responsible use of AI. These include ensuring that AI is only used where it genuinely adds value, keeping people at the centre of decision-making, ensuring that no one is left behind, and providing clear rules and governance.

The Governor described two principles as particularly important:
“AI must serve people, not the other way around. And digitalisation must never depend on where someone lives or how old they are.”
For this reason, Lower Austria’s AI Strategy has been designed as a practical guide for the entire province – supporting citizens, businesses, municipalities and public administration alike.
She also stressed that the strategy is not intended to be a static framework. Instead, the AI Advisory Board will continue to meet annually to review developments and provide ongoing guidance.

Bringing AI to Communities Across the Province

Municipalities will play a key role in implementing the strategy. Since 2024, around 1,200 workshops have already been delivered across Lower Austria’s municipalities, with a new series of free workshops scheduled to begin this autumn.
The House of Digitalisation in Tulln will also remain a central pillar of the initiative. Since opening in 2022, it has established itself as a leading platform for digital transformation. Last year alone, it organised 140 events both at its premises and throughout Lower Austria.
This year, the number is expected to increase further. Current priorities include supporting the tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as providing training for older adults to help them understand and use AI effectively. Another important initiative is “Women and AI”, which aims to strengthen the female perspective in the development and use of this transformative technology.
In addition, the “Digitalks on Tour” programme brings practical AI-related learning opportunities directly into local communities across the region.

AI Increasingly Used Within Public Administration

Artificial intelligence is also becoming an increasingly important tool within Lower Austria’s public administration, helping to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Examples include an internal AI platform available to all government employees and the development of an AI-powered chatbot. AI is also expected to play a growing role in the preparation of expert reports and assessments. The technology is already being used in areas such as spatial planning evaluations.

AI Advisory Board Develops Principles for Responsible AI Use

Speaking at the press conference, Michael Bartz of IMC Krems highlighted the significant productivity gains that AI can generate.
“Even the use of a simple generative AI solution can increase productivity within an organisation by around 20 per cent,” he said.
He also pointed to the wide range of innovation opportunities enabled by AI, spanning sectors from small-scale agriculture to advanced applications combining AI and robotics in healthcare.
AI Advisory Board member and entrepreneur Carina Zehetmaier emphasised that placing people at the centre of the strategy was a deliberate and important decision.
“AI is a powerful tool,” she said, “but we need rules and guardrails if we want to shape the future actively.”
She welcomed the province’s efforts to ensure that the entire population can benefit from AI: “AI only works if it works for all of us.”

Based on: Governor Mikl-Leitner: LH Mikl-Leitner: Mit KI die Zukunft aktiv gestalten - Land Niederösterreich