An assessment of the potential of artificial intelligence applications for sustainable development in Southeastern European countries

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key factor in the development of countries. Countries have recognized the potential of using AI to achieve sustainable development. This research explores the potential of the Southeast European (SEE) countries in the field of AI applications. The Government AI Readiness Index, with its nine indicators, is used to assess readiness for AI applications. A comparison of the SEE countries for the application of AI was conducted using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. The methods used were MEREC (Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) and CORASO (COmpromise Ranking from Alternative SOlutions). The results of the MEREC method show that the maturity and adaptability indicators have higher weight values ​​compared to the other ones. The results of the CORASO method show that Greece and Bulgaria have the strongest indicators, with the sensitivity analysis confirming these findings.