– This train is leaving now. It is important that we keep up with the AI race, says Linda Hofstad Helleland (H). Helleland was digital minister during Solberg’s government and now sits on the industry committee at the Storting. This week the Conservative Party presented its plan for artificial intelligence (AI). Today, they put forward 20 different proposals for the Storting on how the policy should be designed further. The proposal comes on the same day that artificial intelligence is for the first time the subject of its own debate in the Storting. Helleland says that it must happen in collaboration with academia and business, but a government initiative – We want all the parties in the Storting to agree on the way forward for artificial intelligence policy, says Helleland. Among other things, the Conservative Party wants to develop a Nordic “ChatGPT” and is taking the initiative for a Nordic summit on AI. Høyre wants to cooperate with Nordic countries on a separate “Nordic ChatGPT”. Create a council for artificial intelligence, in line with the Biotechnology Council. Ensure that security authorities make cyber security training available to SMEs. Prohibit cooperation with foreign intelligence in influence operations. Prepare a separate NOU on the consequences of generative artificial intelligence on art, culture and the media field and possible measures to deal with the consequences. Assess joint municipal purchasing arrangements for advanced digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, following the model from Denmark’s KOMBIT. Carry out a digital legal cleanup with a particular focus on openness and transparency, legal certainty, privacy and consumer rights. Nordic language model Helleland clarifies that the proposal for a Nordic “ChatGPT” is primarily about building a common Nordic language model. – We have a common Nordic cultural heritage and we have an almost identical language. It ties us together strongly and enables us to develop language models built on common values and history, says Helleland. She hopes the government will present the proposal for such a Nordic language model at the next meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The council has already concluded a Nordic-Baltic agreement for KI. – It will also help to preserve the Nordic languages and values that are central to a rule of law, such as democracy and equality, says Helleland. Wants AI summit in Norway Earlier this month, the UK invited to a summit on AI. None of the Nordic countries were invited there. Høyre believes that a Nordic summit is important to keep up with the international AI train. Helleland wants Norway to host. – If we organize such a summit in Norway, we can highlight Norwegian technology environments, companies and universities that have already come a long way with research and development on artificial intelligence, says Helleland. – Is this a reaction to Norway not being invited to the summit in Great Britain? – It is mostly about us speeding up the regulation and making use of the opportunities available to AI in Norway and the Nordics. Together, we must show stronger leadership. The fact that we were not invited to Great Britain is a signal that they do not see us as an important enough player. Helleland also points out that Nordic cooperation is Norway’s most important means of influencing European politics. – We do not sit around the decision-making tables when the EU develops laws and regulations related to AI, but we have the opportunity to influence the EU through cooperation with the other Nordic countries, she says. Iceland is not a member of the EU and has a similar agreement to Norway through the EEA. Finland, Sweden and Denmark are members of the EU. Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes (SV) believes that the Conservative Party is running the business world’s business with its new KI proposal. Photo: NTB SV: – Could become a monster But the opposition is not satisfied with the proposal from the Conservative Party. – Here the Right is throwing itself on the artificial intelligence hype and fear, and rather runs the errands of the big business world than ensuring a democratic digital development. That’s what SV deputy leader Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes says. Before the summer, SV came up with a proposal in which, among other things, they suggested prohibiting the public sector from using commercial AI tools before a set of regulations is in place. Fylkesnes believes that the Conservative Party’s proposal does not take into account the problems associated with the development of artificial intelligence as it is taking place today. SV believes that the current legislation on privacy related to the use of AI must be strengthened, the deputy chairman points out. – We are positive about experimenting with AI in the public sector. But we do not want to buy in solutions from large technology giants, he says. Fylkesnes believes it is a misconception that SV is exclusively negative about KI. – But we need to put in place a set of regulations that will also have a positive impact on how artificial intelligence is built and develops in society, he says and adds: – Done in the right way, we can rein in the beast. But if KI is just let loose, it can become a monster. – Positive – It is very positive if such a summit leads to the Nordic countries being able to work even closer, says Alex Moltzau, political advisor at NORA.ai. – It puts Norway in a good position that political parties across the board care about the field and that it becomes part of the politics and discussions within the parties. It sets guidelines for how strongly we can invest in the field going forward, says Moltzau. Alexander Moltzau is a political advisor in NORA.ai, a body that brings together several researchers and organizations working with artificial intelligence in Norway. Photo: Tore Kommedal Asheim / NORA.AI Marija Slavkovik, AI professor and head of department at the University of Bergen (UiB), believes a Nordic summit is very positive. She stated to news that she thought it was embarrassing that none of the Nordic countries were invited to the summit in Great Britain. – I hope this can eventually strengthen our position to become a leader in artificial intelligence. But right now it is important to follow and position oneself in the developments that are already taking place, she says. KI professor Marija Slavkovik hopes the development of a Nordic language model can help develop language technology that can also benefit other small states and languages. Photo: UiB Slavkovik also supports the proposal for the development of a common Nordic language model. – It is important because we are a small language and it is easy for our cultural distinctiveness to be lost if only the global companies are allowed to develop language technology, she says. She hopes such a Nordic model can contribute to developing language technology to help other small languages. – There are many small countries and languages in the world that cannot afford to develop their own language technology. The next question is therefore how we can contribute to developing language technology that can also help them to preserve language and culture. Digitization Minister Karianne Tung is happy about KI’s commitment to the Conservative Party. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB – It is important that we get our own language models Digitalization Minister Karianne Tung tells news that she is happy about the involvement of the Conservative Party in the KI policy. – It is important that we both work to ensure that the major international language models are good in our national languages, and that we get our own language models that also reflect Norwegian culture and values, says the minister about the proposal for a Norwegian “ChatGPT”. Norwegian language models are already being developed in this country. Among other things, NTNU-affiliated NorwAI develops the language model NorGPT and a Norwegian language model is currently being built at the National Library. Tung points out that she is working with the government on a digitization strategy to be presented in the summer of 2024. – I think we have to see this in a larger context. AI does not operate by itself, but across sectors and technologies. We are already well underway with many of the proposals for the Conservative Party, says Tung and points out, among other things, that the government has given one billion for research into AI.
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The Conservative Party proposes to develop Nordic ChatGPT – news Culture and entertainment
