As we navigate the mid-point of 2026, the discourse surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) has matured from the initial awe of generative models to the core questions of political economy: who owns the infrastructure, and for whose benefit does it operate? The recent analysis by Kostas Mylonas on tvxs.gr poses a fundamental question for European and Greek policy: can AI be treated as a public utility infrastructure, akin to the power grid or water supply?

The Transition from Product to Infrastructure

For decades, technology was viewed primarily through the lens of consumer products. However, AI has now permeated the vital organs of the state—healthcare, justice, education, and public administration—to such an extent that total reliance on private Big Tech entities is becoming a strategic liability. The concept of 'public utility' implies three core pillars: universal access, consistent quality, and democratic oversight. As Mylonas argues, if AI is the 'operating system' of modern society, then privatizing this system is tantamount to surrendering national sovereignty.

The push for 'Sovereign AI' in Europe is no longer a theoretical exercise. With the EU AI Act fully operational in 2026, safety and ethical standards are high, yet the ownership of the foundational models remains largely concentrated in non-European hands. The proposal for AI as a public infrastructure involves the creation of state-owned or intergovernmental data centers and the promotion of open-source models that serve as a bedrock for local innovation.

Terms and Conditions for Public AI

Redefining AI as a utility is a complex undertaking that requires radical shifts across multiple dimensions:

  • Data as a Common Resource: Data generated by citizens through public services should be recycled back into the community as improved services, rather than fueling the proprietary algorithms of advertising giants.
  • Transparency and Accountability: Algorithms that influence decisions regarding social benefits, hiring, or medical diagnoses must be open to auditing by independent public bodies.
  • Energy Sustainability: A public AI infrastructure must align with Green Deal objectives, mitigating the massive energy consumption typical of unoptimized large-scale models.
"Artificial Intelligence is not a neutral technology; it is a mirror of our social relations of production and our political priorities," the analysis highlights.

The Greek Context and the Path Forward

For Greece, the challenge is twofold. The country must align with European mandates while simultaneously developing specialized applications that cater to the Greek language and local economic needs. Investing in domestic high-performance computing (HPC) is a prerequisite for reducing dependency on multinational cloud providers.

In conclusion, viewing AI as a public utility represents the only viable path away from a dystopian future of digital feudalism. The political will to fund and regulate these infrastructures will determine whether technology serves as a tool for empowerment or as a mechanism for deepening social and economic inequalities. The 2026 landscape demands that we move beyond regulation to active public participation in the technological architecture of our lives.