A. Žigman at the EFRI Economic Forum: Even when using AI, management and supervisory boards remain responsible for business decisions
On 20 February 2026, the President of the Hanfa Board, Ante Žigman, took part in the panel discussion “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector”, held as part of the EFRI Economic Forum “How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming the Public and Private Sectors” organised by the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Rijeka.
The conference began with welcoming speeches by the organisers and introductory presentations, followed by two panel discussions. The first debate centred on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming the public sector, whether it is changing the operations of public institutions, the opportunities it offers for more efficient management and better services for citizens, and the regulatory, security and ethical challenges it presents.
The question was also raised about the use of AI systems in companies’ decision-making, accompanied by a debate on whether the centre of decision-making is shifting from management and supervisory boards to AI, and what implications this carries for their responsibility.
“Managements and supervisory boards are unequivocally responsible for their business decisions,” said Ante Žigman, adding: "Management boards have the opportunity to detect where AI can bring them a competitive advantage, but they will still remain responsible regardless of whether AI made a suggestion regarding their investments, analysed all offers on global stock exchanges according to predefined criteria, or suggested which insurance claim to pay immediately, and which to reject due to incompleteness. The use of artificial intelligence is no longer a novelty - systems for processing car damage and providing fast repair cost offers are already being used.”
As part of the second panel discussion, representatives from the private sector exchanged views and experiences on using AI as a strategic management tool in companies and on creating smart businesses based on this approach.
The Economic Forum is one of the central annual events of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Rijeka, dedicated to networking and dialogue between academia, the business community, public administration and the public. This year's forum focused on AI and its application in the private and public sectors, in line with national and European digital transformation trends. It was an opportunity to exchange knowledge, connect experts and encourage cooperation between institutions and companies that are developing or implementing AI technologies, with an emphasis on practical applications, challenges and ethical aspects of the modern digital economy.
