The Silicon Mountains 2025 forum, Anatomy of AI, dedicated to artificial intelligence, kicked off today, October 14, in Yerevan. This year, the event will bring together more than ten world-renowned experts and industry leaders to showcase how AI works “from the inside” — from basic algorithms to the hidden complexities of neural networks and big data.
Education, education, and once again — education
Speaking at the opening of the forum, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan particularly noted that the foundation of the technological sector rests on three things: education, education, and once again — education. According to him, one can also mention other necessary steps — infrastructure, regulation, and the right policies. But before talking about how to create them, we must first answer the question: what is needed to have good infrastructure, regulation, and policies? “The answer is the same — education, education, and education,” he emphasized.
From this, Pashinyan said, a new question arises: what is needed to have a good education system? And here, again, politics, infrastructure, and regulation are necessary — but in order for them to be of high quality, once again, one thing is needed: education, education, and education. He noted that this conclusion is based on practical experience. There is a political slogan in these words, but behind it lies a real understanding formed through years of work.
Often, the Prime Minister added, people argue with him: “You forgot the main thing — money.” Yes, money is important. But what is needed to have money? The government also has three answers to this question: education, education, and education. Perhaps once it was possible to name other three factors — for example, gas or gold. But today, even the presence or absence of money, jobs, or well-being, in his opinion, all come down to one thing: first — education, second — education, third — education.
Pashinyan welcomed the fact that technology companies have already begun contributing to the sphere of public education. He emphasized that although formally this may not be called an investment, in essence, that is exactly what it is. And this is the right path that will provide the country with three key conditions necessary for development, security, well-being, and sustainability. These conditions are — education, education, and once again — education.
Our goal is to create a smart country
Executive Director of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UEICT) Eduard Musaelyan added that this is already the ninth such forum, and two of them were held in the regions for the first time. He informed that in 2024 the main event was held for the first time in the Shirak region — at the Gyumri Technology Center. This year, in May, another regional summit took place in Lori, he added.
According to Musaelyan, the format in which one event is held in the capital and another in the regions allows innovation to spread throughout the country. “We believe that technology should be accessible to every community, every school, every young person,” he emphasized.
Musaelyan added that over the years, the summit has become one of Armenia’s key technological platforms, uniting technology leaders, government structures, international partners, the private sector, and educational institutions with one common goal — to create a smart country.
In 2024, the organizers decided to change the format, he said. “We want to inspire young people, to show them Armenia’s technological past, the true heroes of the industry — the people who for years have built our technological foundations and financed development,” said Musaelyan. He emphasized that the main theme of this year is “The Anatomy of Artificial Intelligence.”
“AI is not the future — it is already the present. It is changing industry, agriculture, healthcare, the financial system, and even the culture of decision-making,” Musaelyan stressed. But like any technological revolution, AI brings new challenges — data privacy, ethics, and labor market transformation. “We must be ready for these changes. Technology should serve people, not the other way around,” he declared.
Over the past year, a unique project — the teaching of artificial intelligence in high schools, called STEP.ai — has been launched, Musaelyan reported. Since October 2024, the program has been operating in 15 schools across Armenia. According to him, the program is implemented by the UEICT, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and Synopsys Armenia.
It should be noted that the format of the forum allows not only listening to separate speeches but also diving deeper into the topic: participants will be able to study how algorithms work, how neural networks learn, how data flows are structured, and what role human experience plays in this process. This year, Silicon Mountains will not just be a conference — it will be a true exploration of the mechanisms of AI behind the scenes.
At Silicon Mountains 2025, such well-known experts as Vincent Roche — CEO and Chairman of Analog Devices Inc., laureate of the Global High-Tech Award 2025; Noubar Afeyan — founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, co-founder and chairman of Moderna; Andre Andonian — Chairman of Asia Pacific and Strategic Advisor at Flagship Pioneering; Ivan Lesic — CTO of Nokia Mobile Networks for Central and Southern Europe; tech entrepreneur and winemaker Adam Kablanyan — founder of Alexandrea Wines; Vahe Andonyants — founder of Cognaize; Theodora Preda — Director of Plug and Play Tech Center; Hakob Akobyan — founder of Seaside Startup Summit; and Hovhannes Avoyan — CEO and founder of Picsart, will deliver keynote speeches.
In addition to the main program, the forum will provide opportunities for B2B meetings with experts in VIP zones and even personal conversations with industry leaders. For everyone working in technology or simply interested in artificial intelligence, this will be a unique opportunity to hear from those who will shape the future of AI.
Since its establishment in 2019, Silicon Mountains has remained one of Armenia’s largest technological platforms. Every year, the forum brings together leaders and enthusiasts, demonstrates the country’s potential, and strengthens its reputation as a technologically advanced state.
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