Fears Norway may lose AI race – NRK Norway – An overview of news from across the country

Today IKT Norway presents a report in which they claim that Norway lags far behind its Nordic neighbors in investment Amnesty International.

– Artificial intelligence will have a huge impact on society, and our opportunity to solve the great challenges that await us. So, if Norway doesn't pick up the pace, we'll still be standing when the train leaves. Politicians should have greater ambitions, says Øyvind Hasby, managing director of Wellcome ICT Norway.

Slowdown in innovation

The Norwegian ICT company is concerned that Norway lags behind our neighboring countries when it comes to innovation and artificial intelligence. The report shows that the number of artificial intelligence patents registered in Norway is much lower than in neighboring countries.

– This is one of many criteria that says something about our pace of innovation. We need to develop our own solutions, not just use other people's technology, to create the basis for the new post-oil economy.

Measures on the way

– Why do you think Norway is so far behind in patents?

– In short, the Norwegian business world is not good enough today to embrace artificial intelligence, says Digital Transformation Minister Karian Tong.

– NHO and LO announced a power ceiling for digitalization in the business world, because we need it when we have to adapt and ensure that we still have a competitive business world. Patents are part of that, but scale, growth, and access to capital are also other tools we need to implement a greater degree of AI in our companies.

There are very few places to study

In the survey, there are also figures showing that Norway has fewer courses in AI than neighboring countries:

– According to Utsynsmeldingen from the government, we need more new places to study in the field of technology, many in the field of artificial intelligence. The Norwegian ICT company believes we need more than 2,500 new places to meet the need. Hasby says the amount the government has received in the past two years is -1.

Digitalization Minister Tong believes they have now given educational institutions their marching orders:

We know that we clearly need specialized expertise in artificial intelligence in the future to be able to use it. We have also given the country's educational institutions a clear message that they must prioritize technology subjects and places to study ICT in the future, because we know that is a bottleneck.

It calls for a more comprehensive strategy

Hasby points out that Norway is doing some things right, and has good conditions for success. But it lacks comprehensive commitment:

– Technology should frame policy just as we believe sustainability should frame policy. Husby concludes that technology should be the framework for all policies, and today this is no longer the case.