00:02President of the Principality of Asturias, President of the Princess of Asturias Foundation, authorities
00:09who are with us, the presidents of Congress, the Senate, and the Constitutional Court
00:16and of the Supreme Court, General Council of the Judiciary, vice-presidents, minister
00:23and the Government Delegate, the Mayor of Oviedo, authorities, patrons, juries, and award winners of
00:32other editions, dear award winners, ladies and gentlemen, it's a joy to be back
00:42in Asturias. These awards, now in their 46th edition, have acquired the serene rhythm of things.
00:52Well done. But without sacrificing novelty; there's always something that surprises us. Thank you.
01:02To everyone for joining us, to the Foundation, to the patrons, for doing everything possible, and to the
01:10We are grateful for the time you have dedicated to us during these days of authentic Asturian immersion.
01:19It is a source of pride, I confess, to see how Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, continues
01:27taking firm steps as honorary president of the Foundation, while she trains and accumulates
01:36valuable experiences in their life learning, as does infantasophy.
01:45The princess has praised the merits of our award winners, though not exclusively. And I would like to
01:54Let me add any final thoughts. And allow me to begin, since I'm here on this topic.
02:02stage, due to the figure of Leopoldo Alas Clarín, who promoted the construction of the Theater
02:08Campoamor, whose death 125 years ago is being commemorated. Clarín said, the lessons of the world
02:17They are made in a language that cannot be translated, the language of experience. The phrase
02:26It fairly defines, I think, the trait that our awards share year after year.
02:31Princesses of Asturias, a rich learning experience, an experience that cannot be
02:38to transfer or explain, but only to live and that at the end of our life's journey it will be ours
02:47Heritage, our great heritage. It is important to emphasize this idea, the value of experience.
02:55In a world that marches to the dictates of information bombardment and massive data aggregation,
03:02a world in which artificial intelligence sometimes seems to us, because it is efficient and immediate,
03:09More reliable than even human intelligence. Our award winners dispel that impression.
03:15Their achievements, lived and worked for to the core, demonstrate that only with effort and perseverance
03:25Can talent turn its potential into tangible and lasting realities?
03:33The almost artisanal process that goes from self to society, from potential to result, requires time.
03:45Sometimes it leads to a sporting feat, a great novel, or a scientific discovery.
03:53or in a theorem that better explains the world, that which many, most, see as almost
04:01unattainable. But it doesn't always happen that way. Often it results in something simply well done.
04:08a useful work for society. And how many millions of people are there to whom we anonymously owe something?
04:18That quiet, humble dedication to doing things well?
04:24Artificial intelligence, or its future evolution, which they call superintelligence, has demonstrated
04:32far exceeding its ability to absorb all human knowledge and return it synthesized with immediacy
04:40Amazing. But one has to wonder if it would be capable of something very different, almost contradictory or opposite.
04:49learning through time, from the passage of time, gradually reconciling, as we do
04:57Human beings. Knowledge, along with that necessary moral learning that only age can provide,
05:06consideration for others and experience.
05:09The moral of the story is that we need to give ourselves time. Time to get results.
05:19To achieve objectives, to reach goals. And we need patience, also as societies.
05:27Especially in this world of technological acceleration. We have much to offer and to offer ourselves.
05:34Let's give ourselves time, let's give ourselves confidence to reach the best version of ourselves.
05:44In a mature society like ours, the exercise of democracy also requires time.
05:51It is not exhausted in elections like the ones we will soon experience, where citizens will have,
05:58Once again, we have the very high responsibility of defining the political orientation of our country.
06:04Democracy requires daily, civic, and demanding commitment.
06:10through careful attention to its forms and institutions to continue guaranteeing our coexistence,
06:17to illuminate that search for the common good that attends to and balances,
06:23in the best possible way, the legitimate interests of all citizens.
06:29Democracy, ultimately, is also an experience, a learning process.
06:34And we have learned a lot in these five decades that already pass
06:39between the approval of that law for political reform and the present day.
06:46Let us remember that a complex process, based on generosity and Midas-like stature,
06:52The transition allowed us nothing less than to pass peacefully and admirably
06:58From dictatorship to freedoms.
07:02A process based on a Constitution, ours of 1978,
07:09capable of welcoming all Spaniards without any distinction.
07:13And since then the journey continues, renewed year after year
07:19and it compels us all to be humble, to remain vigilant,
07:25to also renew as citizens our constant willingness to learn and improve.
07:33Ladies and gentlemen, I started with Clarín
07:36And I want to end with another peak in our literature,
07:42whose death also marks an important anniversary this year, 40 years.
07:49I'm referring to the great Jorge Luis Borges,
07:53Argentine and universal,
07:56to whom, on one occasion, being already very old,
07:58They asked him about the writing profession.
08:01And he replied, writing is dreaming.
08:07And one has to try to dream sincerely.
08:12These are useful words, it seems to me, for any profession and human activity.
08:18Sincerity in what we do, want, yearn for, and imagine.
08:23That is the essential requirement to complete our learning.
08:28so that the efforts may bear fruit,
08:32to have something valuable to give back to society at the end of the road.
08:37And our award winners prove it.
08:42They give us excellent examples of how far a life can go,
08:47a career path, a creative or research project,
08:51when they are lived with sincerity,
08:54a sincerity that an algorithm can never achieve on its own.
09:00These awards are a testament to our admiration and gratitude.
09:06Thank you all for lifting our spirits,
09:11for showing us how high intelligence can fly
09:17when it is combined with effort, values, and creativity,
09:23that is, to the human spirit.
09:26Thank you so much.
