MAKE POLAND GREAT AT LAST – on Independence Day, November 11 People have very different views on the world around them. An old Indian parable about a group of blind men and an elephant perfectly captures the classic issue of perspectives and awareness. It goes something like this: several blind men touch an elephant and try to describe it. One touches the trunk and says, "The elephant is a soft tube." Another touches the tail and says, "No, the elephant is a thick rope." Yet another touches the tusks and says, "Absolutely not, the elephant is a smooth stick." Of course, each of the blind men is right, but only in a certain part of the reality. In consulting, they say the secret of success lies in the ability to see the whole problem—the *BIG PICTURE*. Without getting into details, without interpreting individual features, flaws, or advantages. Only by seeing the whole and removing emotions can we assess the situation and choose an appropriate strategy. Today, there is much talk about the state's digitalization strategy, an AI strategy for our country, and investment plans. And it’s very good that this is being discussed. It’s very good that people are interested and that there are those who want to make a difference. However, observing this, I see a certain trap, like in the elephant parable—the lack of a clear, single-sentence *"why."* Donald Trump, in his previous presidential campaign, had a fantastic slogan: *"Make America Great Again."* Wonderfully simple and very meaningful. For me, America was a dream. During my studies, I wanted to flee to America and start my professional life there. Later, I visited the country hundreds of times. I have businesses there. It is a wonderful country, but something went wrong. It lost its charm, declined. And people living there, not seeing the change, long for a return to the status of the 1980s—Ronald Reagan’s America. Great, magnificent, a leader setting trends in all disciplines. *"Again"*—a clear direction for another chance. *Why* do we need a digitalization strategy or AI development in Poland? Certainly, we can’t copy the concept of "Again." But perhaps we should have our own *"At Last"*? The last 30 years have been an exceptionally important period for Poland. Wonderful. From political transformation, through economic, to cultural. At least two generations of Poles have benefited from this period. Everything has changed for the better, whether in the countryside or in the heart of an urban agglomeration. In my view, however, we still underinvest in science and education. There is also a neglected area of resource and energy independence. I remember nearly 20 years ago when successive governments were urged to modernize energy, water management, and public services. But there are always more urgent issues. Only when it hurts do we address it. We even have our own saying: *"A Pole is wise after the fact."* We have had substantial support from EU funds for the last few years (3-5). The question is, can we use them wisely? At least as well as we did with infrastructure? But this time, let’s do it for services and knowledge. Let’s invest in the information society, in ecosystems for creating technological solutions (and not only ICT, though that’s the easiest to focus on). Are we afraid of war? Rightly so. Let’s invest in defensive, but also offensive, cyber technologies. Are we afraid of losing competitiveness? Let’s invest in logistics and planning data and algorithms. Are we, finally, afraid of the demographic crisis? Let’s invest in new competencies and sectors of the economy, where relieving people from trivial tasks through AI will allow us to use human resources for creative work. We have our window. Most importantly, we have incentives (even a few) and funds. Let’s strive to motivate as many blind men as possible to express their opinions about the elephant, but let the enlightened, those who see the big picture, also operate efficiently, for heaven’s sake. This is our patriotic duty, as well as our pride and responsibility for the future of our children.
