Norway doesn't join the push on AI

Recently, the AI Safety Summit went off in the UK, and Norway was not to be seen. For two days, representatives from states, academic institutions, civil society organizations and the top KI companies met to discuss how together we can reduce risk from powerful KI.

The interest is great, and the initiatives are numerous. The UK has started a extensively wagering on KI security. The White House has released a list of measures for AI risks. A variety experts and institutions have released reports on Ki-risk and suggestions for possible international cooperation to reduce the risk. The processes hardly receive media coverage here in the country, and Norway is nowhere to be seen in these processes. That despite the fact that many KI problems need international interaction to be solved.

Beyond threats to democracy that misinformation or information warfare, we already see opportunities for abuse of KI to bioterrorism or cyber attack. We are seeing a race between companies and states to develop the most powerful possible systems in the shortest possible time. As Associate Professor Inga Strümke recently Pointed in a column in Aftenposten, there are ordinary people who will lose out on it.

We are living in a historic moment for KI policy and we are not seizing the opportunity. Nationally, the government seems to be waking up, with new minister for digitization and KI, new ministry and Ki-billion. Now we also need to look outwards.

Norway must participate in the international processes in which tomorrow's regulations take shape. As a minimum Norway should establish a global ambassador for KI and a department for KI in UD's section for global security. A concrete goal must be to work out a clear position on international AI security within the United Nations Summit for the Future in 2024.