We took control of the oil. Let's do the same with data and artificial intelligence

You'd have to stick your head pretty far into the sand not to see that KI is the most transformative technology of our time. Just look at everything that happened this summer while you have been on vacation; one has now got KI agents who can on their own perform tasks on your PC, video generation that is indistinguishable from reality, and KI models that win gold in Math Olympics.

AI technology is raging and becoming an increasingly important part of our lives. Yet we devote KI barely the attention it deserves. The digitisation strategy of the government spends only seven out of ninety pages on technology, none of the parties in the Storting has KI on the agenda in the election campaign and Europe continues to fall behind with investments in data centers, energy and people.

Business Sees Opportunities

However, things happen in Norway. But typically, the initiative comes from private business and not as part of a larger strategy between government and business.

The news that Aker joining forces with Nscale to build the first OpenAI KI factory in Europe, shows that we have something to offer the global KI infrastructure. A cool climate, cheap and renewable power (than so long) and a stable democracy is valuable to those who want to build and operate data centers.

Norway needs to get more out of putting itself at its disposal

The question is what Norway gets left for offering cheap electricity to American companies. Data centers generally provide few workplaces as soon as it's finished building, although we're often told the opposite. We also see companies like Google paying limited by tax. This does not in any way preclude us having data centres in Norway, but I think we should have greater ambitions for what we want to get out of it.

Instead of passively welcoming these investments, we should look to our own history for inspiration. The great genius of the oil policy of the 70s was a deliberate strategy to exploit oil resources for long-term national gain, in the form of high tax rates, a national oil industry and an associated industry. Simply to take direct control of the resource.

The Value of Being Pragmatic

The mastermind behind much of this was railwayman Rolf Hellem. As chairman of the industrial committee at the Storting he wrote “The Ten Commandments of Oil”. There was a set of guiding principles and concrete proposals, including the creation of Statoil, to ensure that the oil benefited the whole community.

A great insight from the history of oil teaches us the value of being pragmatic. Norway was willing to compromise, build alliances and learn from the best — while safeguarding national interests. We invited American companies, but required Norwegian partners.

We accepted foreign technology but insisted on training. We were patient enough to build expertise over time, but determined enough to demand concession terms that ensured national control.

Should make demands when a tech company wants to establish itself

As with oil, Norway today sits on strong cards to ensure that the development of AI benefits Norwegians: cheap and renewable electricity, plenty of capital, a digital-savvy population and political stability. But we lack the most important thing: technological expertise, computing power and our own AI models.

We should develop a digitalisation strategy that emphasises strategic barter, just as we did with oil. Every time an international tech company wants to establish itself in Norway, we should set requirements for the transfer of expertise and positive spillover effects to the Norwegian KI industry.

Say yes to data centers that give back

There is no reason to build crypto and TikTok data centers in Norway. Then we give electricity on cheap sales in exchange for something that has almost zero value. Data centers like Google's in Skien or Stargate Norway in Narvik on the other hand offer something like may give back to society.

For example, Aker and Nscale writes that Project Stargate will cooperate with the local academic communities in Northern Norway on research, innovation and competence sharing. These are positive signals that I hope will be followed up.

The government's new data center strategy is also a very careful step in the right direction with duty of registration and security requirements. But it lacks the most important, concrete demands on what Norway should get back. The strategy mentions “value creation” 36 times, but contains few concrete mechanisms to ensure that this value creation actually occurs in Norway.

Debate ends up in the ditch

As we now discuss data center development, I fear that the debate will end up in one of two ditches: either Red and SVs which are Skeptical of most of data center development, or an uncritical cheerleader who thinks the industry should be given free rein.

Both approaches miss the strategic potential of data center development. We need a third way that combines transparency with strategic requirements. Let's learn from the Oil Fund, which has done a lot of good. Collaboration with Anthropic, where the fund buys services from them in exchange for them getting technology and skills transfer in-house.

Pessimists did not believe in the oil adventure

Long term has been inspired by “the ten oil commandments” and we have therefore set up a selection with 15 experts to chisel out “the ten KI and data budgets” to be launched after the election. The aim is to ensure that we manage our data and AI resources in a way that benefits the whole community.

Some would argue that it is inconceivable that Norway could build up its own AI industry. But so did pessimists say about Norway's prospects of becoming a leading oil nation in the 1970s.

Even if we do not become a leading KIC nation overnight, any move that makes us better equipped for the future will be a gain for Norway.

No win is too small.

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