Swedish Commission delivers roadmap for artificial intelligence reforms (19459000)
Sweden will regain its position as the leading Nordic nation in next-generation technology following the government’s approval of a strategic road map and an increase of EUR1.5bn in spending on artificial intelligent (AI).
State support for AI has increased following the
Release of a landmark report by a government appointed commissionthat warned of the dangers of falling further behind China and India in the so-called AI race.
In its AI road map for Sweden report (AI -RFS) the commission highlights the need for the country’s state partnerships to be scaled up with the private sector. The report’s most important message is that Sweden risks being left behind in AI if it does not “act urgently” to close the AI gap.
In the AIRFS Report, 75 proposals are made, including the suggestion that the state invest EUR1.5bn more in AI development, technology usability and innovation programmes over the next 5 years, until 2029.
The AIRFS includes a proposal that urges government to adopt an “emergency mode” approach to AI. The commission wants the government to create a special taskforce under the supervision of prime minister’s offices to speed up the implementation of critical AI initiatives raised in the report.
The commission also advocates that the government adopt a radical “AI for all” reform, which aims to ensure that every household in Sweden, as well as businesses, research organisations and citizens, have free access to AI tools.
Elevating AI (
) The “democratisation AI” proposal is intended to reshape the way the public views AI and to elevate the technology into a central role in Swedish society. Once implemented, AI-for-all will provide free access to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
The public will have access through a state-managed AI center, where they can log in and access paid versions of advanced AI software for a limited time.
According to the AI -RFS Report, AI has a great potential to unleash human creativity and drive innovations. The report states that “the combination of human intelligence with AI can produce better-quality work faster.” “This allows new forms of innovation and creativity, which are vital for
Sweden’s
economic future. AI can help
Sweden to better manage large-scale social transitions. Sweden can lead the world with AI adoption by adopting the right strategy and approach. It was once the leader in personal computing and Internet speed. Volvo, Vattenfall and McKinsey are among the senior members of this high-powered commission.
According to the chairman of the commission, Sweden must “close its AI gap” and regain its reputation as a global technology leader.
Carl-Henric Svanberg, former CEO of Ericsson.
Svanberg lamented that
Sweden’s
global AI capability benchmark ranking has dropped significantly in the last few years due to insufficient AI research and development and investment from both the public sector and private sector.
Svanberg said that the fact that the commission completed its report six months before the deadline set by government demonstrates the need for political-led actions. ”
Sweden is
lagging behind on AI. The need for urgent political action is a result. The report proposes corrective measures that can be implemented quickly. Svanberg said that over 20 of the measures proposed in the AI-RFS report are intended for “further investigations”. It is important to not delay investigations into these constructive measures unnecessarily.
A wake-up call for Sweden’s legislators
According to the report, the stark messages in it are a “wake-up” call for both technology sector players and lawmakers.
Magnus Tyreman (19459015) is the chair of the Stockholm School of Economics and a member of a commission.
He said that Sweden
is currently lagging behind in key technological areas such as cloud, next-generation technology, and connectivity. “We are the furthest behind in AI technology. This is not the best place to be. We must reverse this.
The AI-RFS report paints a bleak picture of the development and state of AI both in Sweden and Europe. The report describes an “mini crisis” in terms of under-investment in AI and technological advancements in EU member countries generally. It also bemoans a gap between the EU, India, and China in terms of economic growth and value creation.
Tyreman said that Sweden may be ahead in AI compared to other parts of Europe but is far behind the US and China. “On the plus side,
Sweden has the conditions to improve its position. What we need most is a clear, cohesive leadership that can make bolder and faster decisions than we do today. It proposes a shared AI Infrastructure to transform public services, and a regulatory structure to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
Reenergising national AI strategyResponding to commission, the government stated that it intends to incorporate critical measures outlined in order to reenergise national AI strategy. The original National AI Strategy, launched in May 2018, did not deliver on its promise to establish a foundation for future policy priorities and actions in the AI domain.
The NAIS failed to meet agreed AI development goals in key areas such as education and training, AI use, AI Infrastructure, and the legislative framework. NAIS’s tight budgetary constraints meant that it was unable fully to take advantage of AI’s many opportunities.
The Swedish Government’s appointment of the so-called council-of-inquiry to investigate best methods to speed up deployment of 5G in Sweden is expected to also add momentum and value for innovation-led national AI reforms and expansion. The AI report of the commission will be reviewed in detail by the Ministry of Public Administration and Digital Policy (PA-DP) before being used to “promptly” implement government initiatives and actions during 2025. This was announced by PA-DP Minister Erik Slottner.
We share the report’s urgency,” he said. “AI is a global race and we don’t want to be left out. We must act immediately. Unfortunately, while other countries advanced rapidly
Sweden missed important opportunities during the early stages of AI revolution. We must reverse this negative and once again become a world leader in technology.
