From Big Data to AI: 25 years of technological evolution in Monaco celebrated by ADIM
Franck Chiniard has been head of ADIM for four years © Monaco Tribune - Benjamin Godart
A quarter of a century after its creation, the Monaco Association of IT Directors (ADIM) is taking stock of an accelerated digital transformation.
From the arrival of the internet to the challenges of artificial intelligence, the Principality has become a veritable technological laboratory over the last quarter of a century. 150 industry professionals attended an evening event organised by ADIM at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel on Friday 20 June, to mark its 25th anniversary, under the patronage of Prince Albert II. The anniversary event’s conference focused on the transition from the Internet era to that of AI, revealing the surprising maturity of Monegasque’s digital ecosystem.
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A concentration of expertise over two square kilometres
“It’s fascinating to see that, in such a small area, we have all the necessary skills to design, deploy and maintain entire technological infrastructures,” says Franck Chiniard, who has been heading up the association since 2021.
This technological density is particularly evident in the medical field. At the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG), innovations are about more than just equipment. Vincent Templier, Director of Information Systems, described some concrete applications: “For example, we deployed intelligent audio sensors that can pick up very weak distress signals. When a patient whispers ‘I’m in pain’, the system immediately triggers an alert.” The hospital processes data from 47,000 emergency room visits per annum, representing around 150,000 hospital days per year, and requiring an infrastructure of 600 virtual servers for 400 business applications.
Energy as a testing ground
SMEG, co-founder of ADIM, has been using artificial intelligence for almost twenty years. “Contrary to popular belief, we have been using these technologies for energy forecasting since 2006. AI is not new, its foundations date back to the 1950s,” said Pierfranck Pelacchi, deputy managing director.
The company has developed algorithms that can break down a building’s electricity consumption, identifying each appliance by its energy ‘signature’. “This approach delivers savings of 10-15% without heavy investment. Some establishments, such as the hotel we are in, have even achieved a reduction of 30%,” he added.
Cybersecurity: innovation downside
The technological euphoria doesn’t hide the growing risks however. “Cyber threats are growing exponentially. Malicious entities are now commandeering AI itself to create new attack strategies,” warned Franck Chiniard.
The example of Microsoft Copilot, the AI assistant that is part of the Office suite, illustrates this vulnerability: “Hackers have managed to inject commands that are invisible to the human eye but readable by AI, which enable data to be extracted for five months before detection.”
Beyond the immediate challenges, the association is expecting a more profound revolution. “Quantum computing is our next major concern. It could render all our current encryption systems obsolete,” predicted the ADIM president. This threat, initially envisaged ten years from now, is getting dangerously close. “The experts are constantly revising their forecasts downwards. We’re now talking about two to three years.”
Monaco, a pioneer in digital sovereignty
In view of the risk of phishing, which is impacting more and more individuals and businesses, the government has decided to step up its action. A future public portal, publiccybermalveillance.gouv.mc, is to be created by a public interest group including the Monegasque Digital Security Agency (AMSN). The move is part of the overall security drive undertaken by the AMSN since 2015.
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Adopted by the National Council on 18 June, the bill to enhance the digital identity system also represents a further step towards greater data security. “There will be a shared repository with the other countries. This is a necessary development to ensure security and facilitate service rollout,”, Franck Chiniard told us. With 88 member-companies at present, the association aims to reach 100 by December, while also launching specialist working groups with the AMSN for deployment of the country’s future cybersecurity platform.