AI Advantage: Regulate, But Don't Restrain

Artificial intelligence in Ukraine has long ceased to be a technology of the future. Today it helps businesses optimise resources, improves the accuracy of medical diagnostics, and is transforming the agricultural sector and defence technologies. Yet the question of rules governing its use is becoming increasingly urgent.

 

This was the central theme of LET IT BE: AI Advantage. Participants reached a shared conclusion: rules for the use of artificial intelligence are necessary. But it is critically important to preserve the balance between regulation and AI development. It is equally important to understand that artificial intelligence is not a silver bullet — it does not replace people or poorly built business processes. AI is a tool that amplifies efficiency, reduces costs, and optimises task execution, but it does not eliminate systemic failures. The foundation remains mature processes, clearly defined objectives, and an understanding of where exactly technology delivers real results.

 

LET IT BE: AI Advantage brought together on one platform the experts who are shaping the future of technology in Ukraine today. The regulatory sector was represented by specialists from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Sandbox team, who are working on the national AI strategy. Speakers from EPAM Ukraine, MHP, UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, CheckEye, and Wantent shared real-world AI implementation cases and the economic impact of the technology. The legal community was represented by experts from Juscutum and the Ukrainian Bar Association, with a focus on data protection and the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU AI Act. Representatives of UCU, NaUKMA, and KPI spoke about talent development and academic expertise.

 

The event also saw the first presentation of the Ukraine AI Industry Map — a study developed by the IT Ukraine Association within its AI Committee — outlining the sectors where Ukraine is already delivering notable results in artificial intelligence.

 

Key insights from the discussions:

 

• AI does not work as a layer on top of old processes. Companies that simply add AI to existing systems frequently see minimal effect — and sometimes additional costs. The greatest results come from an AI First approach: when a business rebuilds its processes from the outset with AI capabilities in mind. This is why companies are increasingly moving away from bloated SaaS platforms used at only 10–15% of their capacity, and switching to custom AI solutions tailored to specific business needs.
• AI is already generating real money. One case presented: an AI solution for anomaly analysis at an investment fund reduced incident processing time from 30 minutes to 2 minutes. The cost of a single operation is just a few dollars. The projected annual saving exceeds USD 1.3 million.
• A telling market trend: over the past two years, the average value of an AI contract has grown 13-fold — from USD 39,000 to USD 530,000. This signals that businesses no longer treat AI as an experiment. The technology is becoming part of mission-critical processes.
• Effective AI is impossible without structured, high-quality data. Successful large-scale cases are built on years of data collection and systematisation. MHP’s manufacturing AI solutions, for example, were preceded by five years of data work.
• Automation should not be an end in itself. Sometimes the cost of maintaining an AI solution exceeds the time savings it delivers. Companies therefore need to account not only for upfront costs, but for the future cost of sustaining the technology.
• Ukraine’s strong educational base remains a key advantage. Today, more than 40 Ukrainian universities offer around 300 programmes related to AI. Dual education deserves particular attention: students work on real business cases while still studying, enabling faster integration of young specialists into the market.
• Regulation as trust, not restriction. Rules should ensure transparency and user confidence in how their data and AI systems are used. At present, a legal vacuum exists: there is no clear answer as to who bears responsibility for AI errors — the developer, the business, or the user agent — creating a zone of legal uncertainty.

 

The central challenge is not to lose the pace of technological development through future AI regulation. All participants agreed: rules for the use of artificial intelligence are necessary — especially where personal data, financial information, and user trust are concerned. At the same time, excessive regulation risks slowing innovation and constraining technological progress. This is especially critical for DefenceTech, where in wartime conditions technologies evolve faster than regulatory frameworks can follow.

 

The key takeaway from LET IT BE: AI Advantage is that artificial intelligence is no longer a standalone trend. It is becoming the new normal — an effective tool for business, government, and society. Experts predict that the market will soon stop debating the need for “clean data”: that will simply become the standard. The key questions will instead be the speed of extracting value from AI and the ethical boundaries of AI agent use.

 

Ukraine today possesses a unique combination of technical expertise, a strong IT industry, applied experience in DefenceTech, and a high capacity for business adaptation. This is precisely what can make it one of Europe’s most powerful AI hubs.

 

We thank all speakers, partners, and participants for a substantive discussion and for their contribution to developing the AI ecosystem in Ukraine.

 

The event was organised by the IT Ukraine Association with the support of UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, in partnership with Juscutum and the Ukrainian Bar Association.