BUCHAREST, March 25 (Reuters) - A Romanian state agency

for rural investments is using artificial intelligence to help

farmers apply for European Union funds, it said on Monday, a

first in one of the EU's least developed digital economies.

The Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) told

Reuters it began using robots from software automation company

UiPath ( PATH ) a little over two years ago.

The robots have taken over the time-consuming tasks of

tapping state databases to procure land registry and judicial

records for farmers, entrepreneurs and state institutions

applying for EU funds.

"AI-based automation plays an extremely important part in

speeding key processes for farmers and making them more

efficient," AFIR director George Chirita said.

Since it began using robots, the agency has handled

financing requests worth 5.32 billion euros ($5.75 billion) from

more than 50,000 farmers, companies and local institutions, it

told Reuters in written comments.

Robots have saved roughly 784 days worth of document

searches for AFIR staff, it said. The agency has disbursed 21

billion euros worth of funds over two decades.

Although Romania has emerged as one of Europe's most active

technology hubs, with a highly skilled labour pool, it still

lags many other European nations in offering digital public

services for citizens and business and has struggled to tap

billions of euros in EU development funds.

Eurostat data showed only 28% of Romanians had at least

basic digital skills in 2023, below the EU average of 54%.

Digital public services for citizens and businesses ranked at 45

compared with the EU average of 84.

UiPath ( PATH ), the Romanian company valued at $13.3 billion after

going public on the New York Stock Exchange, told Reuters it has

delivered automation services to other farming agencies

including in Norway and the United States.

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