Putting an end to Sweden’s AI slide
26 November 2024
The report from Sweden’s official AI Commission was delivered to the government this week (I’m writing this on 26 November 2024), a full six months ahead of schedule.
The recommendations, to “strengthen Sweden’s development and usage of AI in a sustainable and safe way”, include an eco-system of 70+ suggestions, all of which are quite urgent. And made more so by Sweden’s slide in global AI indexes from the likes of Tortoise and Oxford Insights.
My initial thoughts, as a design strategist, on three of the high-level recommendations:
Establish a temporary task force operating in a state of urgency (emergency?), reporting directly to the Prime Minister’s office
Good idea but not crucial. With — in my personal opinion — a rather weak PM I’m not sure what can expected from his office. But, let’s see. Again, not crucial, more of a nice-to-have.
National education and training initiatives
Yes, yes, and yes! All the Nordic counties do this very well, and there is recent-ish precedent in how the government made computer technology and internet access available to every citizen in the 1990s. Plus us Swedes like being damn good at whatever we do (see music, tech, fashion…).
AI is about societal responsibility, not just technology.
Unified public sector AI-infrastructure and development led by the Tax Authority (“Skatteverket”) and the Social Insurance Agency (“Försäkringskassan”)
This will freak people out if they are 1) not Scandinavian, or 2) Scandinavians who like to think everything in the region sucks compared to whatever country they fetishise.
Factually the work of Skatteverket and Försäkringskassan in terms of tools, service level and public good puts most similar departments around the world to shame. Be grateful for them!
Challenges ahead, there are a few…
Sweden has a long and embarrassing track record of public sector f-ups when it comes to technology-adjacent initiatives
Whether for schools or health care, there’s a littany of failures. Fair or not with regards to the AI plan, this will be a factor.
Why I’m still positive:
Speed. There is no time for the type of slow, semi-rigid processes that enable large IT companies to — IMHO — fleece tax payers while delivering useless products and systems, all the while officials wash their hands of any responsibility in said fleecing. Also, Sweden is lagging behind and will be running to keep up. Unlike with schools and health care where Sweden started at a position of relative stregth.
The sheer scale of the undertaking
Why I’m still positive:
Our Nordic nations, just like most other countries, are putting a new emphasis on preparing for a more hostile world. The comming together around national defense and individual crisis preparation will benefit the AI initiative as well. It’s very much time to show up and contribute.
Notes >
