Norway and the United Kingdom establish AI partnership

Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Torgeir Micaelsen and the UK Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Kanishka Narayan, met on 12 November in connection with the Atlantic Future Forum, a British defence, security and technology conference held aboard HMS Prince of Wales.

During the meeting, they agreed to further develop cooperation on artificial intelligence as part of the strategic partnership between Norway and the United Kingdom.

“Artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities for value creation, research, and better public services. At the same time, we must address the security challenges that the technology may bring. This is a high priority for the Government. International cooperation is essential, and it is therefore important to work closely with trusted partners such as the United Kingdom, one of our closest allies,” said Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Torgeir Micaelsen.

“Norway is one of our closest and most trusted allies. There is a great deal our countries can achieve together, particularly by combining British expertise in AI with Norway’s strengths in energy and computing. This is practical cooperation that will help us build greater technological independence, strengthen our collective security and support good jobs in both countries, said AI Minister Kanishka Narayan.

Cooperation on AI Safety, Research and Infrastructure

Norway and the United Kingdom will build on their respective strengths in artificial intelligence, research and innovation, secure digital infrastructure, and access to clean energy.

The countries will explore cooperation in areas including:

• Computing capacity and digital infrastructure for artificial intelligence
• Closer cooperation between AI Norway and the AI Security Institute on AI safety, testing and evaluation of AI models, and understanding the risks associated with advanced AI
• AI applications for defence and security purposes
• Cybersecurity and the management of AI-related risks
• Enhanced international AI cooperation, including the development of international rules, standards and governance frameworks
• Research, innovation and business development based on artificial intelligence
• The interaction between artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies such as quantum technologies, biotechnology and robotics

Closer Cooperation Between Authorities and Expert Communities

The two countries will facilitate closer cooperation between relevant government agencies, research institutions and industry stakeholders. The work will be coordinated by the UK Department for Business and Trade and the Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance.

The cooperation builds on the strategic partnership between Norway and the United Kingdom and complements existing collaboration on security, green industry and technological development.

During the meeting, the ministers signed a Letter of Intent on AI cooperation, with the aim of subsequently developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will further specify cooperation across the various areas.