Friends and colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

thank you for the invitation to this annual conference, which comes at a time of major developments in the Norwegian AI landscape.

The public debate on how Norway can best prepare for the age of artificial intelligence is intense. Fortunately, our researchers are at the forefront of this discussion. We need the sharpest minds engaged in the debate on this transformative technology.

The research community is central to Norway’s AI policy.

That is why NORA was an obvious part of the delegation visit to Canada in March, where important strategic partnerships in AI, quantum and the Arctic were discussed. We appreciate your valuable contributions.

Artificial intelligence is not just a technology or an academic field – it is a matter of security policy. It is about competitiveness. It shapes what we teach our students, how we teach, how we conduct research, and ultimately the kind of society we build for the future.

There is great seriousness in this.

The public debate takes many directions. Some emphasize that Norwegian AI policy must not underestimate the risks and crisis scenarios. Others stress that the risks of delaying AI adoption are greater than those of moving early, and that this sector must lead the way. A third important perspective highlights the need to strengthen our digital sovereignty through cooperation with like-minded countries.

In a topic as complex and consequential as this, we must be able to hold several thoughts at once.

On the one hand, the immense opportunities – the potential for scientific and industrial applications are so vast that it is difficult to fully comprehend.

On the other hand, the risks: to our security and safety, but also the risks related to how we think and learn. I know you are fully aware of this balance.   

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Government response in three points:

For the Labour Party government, there is no doubt. We must approach AI development with ambition.

We must adopt AI where it serves a purpose – not for the sake of technology itself, but for the benefit of society.

Norway’s ambition is to be at the forefront of safe and ethical use of AI. We are well positioned to achieve this, as one of the most digitalized societies in the world, with a high level of trust.

To succeed, it is crucial that we strengthen our national technological sovereignty and thereby our digital sovereignty.

There are three key things we must do to achieve this:

1 – We must develop research and knowledge

2 – We must build infrastructure

3 – We must cooperate closely with our allies and like-minded countries

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# 1: We must develop research and new knowledge

First, the research and higher education sector is decisive for Norwegian digital sovereignty, security and competitiveness.

We need world‑class, cutting‑edge AI research and strong collaboration between research groups and the public and private sectors.

By allocating 1.3 billion Norwegian kroner to the national AI research centers, we have created a cross-disciplinary powerhouse bringing together the leading research environments in Norway – many of you are present here today, together with  industry partners.

This is crucial for strengthening Norwegian competitiveness and ensuring that more research can be put to practical use.

In addition, we have new AI centers emerging in crucial fields where Norway has strong competence – and, we are investing in Norwegian language models – not just for technology, but for national sovereignty and control over our own data.

In addition to research, the government has recently established a fast-track, cross-ministerial task force, to accelerate efforts to increase our digital sovereignty. 

The group will identify critical dependencies and vulnerabilities, develop a comprehensive, cross-sectoral risk picture, assess the status of national digital autonomy, and propose prioritized measures to strengthen this autonomy.

Norway must build its own knowledge and expertise in AI to leverage the technology in ways that strengthen national security interests, and to understand how AI can threaten these interests. In this work, the Nora network and your member institutions, are highly valuable.

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Research is key. Higher education is equally important. The government is strongly committed to investing in technology education to build new talent, but also education to promote analytical skills and critical thought.

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If Norway is to succeed in its ambition to be at the forefront of the safe and ethical use of AI, the higher education sector must set an example for the rest of society. We are the knowledge sector, and we possess critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, source criticism, and technological understanding.

The key question is not whether to use AI, but how to integrate it effectively and responsibly. AI can be a valuable tool in teaching and contribute to more individually adapted learning. Misuse of AI, on the other hand, could impair learning and undermine confidence in higher education.

That is why the government has appointed an expert committee to explore the role of AI in higher education, providing guidance to students, researchers and teachers on how to use AI responsibly and effectively. To achieve this, students and teachers must receive proper training and learn about both strengths and limitations. The expert group will deliver its report late 2026.

# 2: We must build infrastructure:

Over to my second point: Norway must strengthen its national digital infrastructure. We are already taking decisive steps by strengthening Norway’s capacity for high-performance computing and data storage.

Norway aims to be the most digitalised country in the world by 2030. To reach this goal, and to succeed in the digitalisation of Europe, we are depending on the use of digital infrastructure and digital services.

In this context, we must be mindful of dependencies in critical value- and supply chains, both as a nation and as a region. 

Based on the global security situation, the Government has strengthened control over critical digital infrastructure such as mobile networks, broadband, fiber networks, and data centers in Norway. We are building Norwegian AI capacity and enabling more data to be stored and processed in Norway.

There have also been significant public investments in national data infrastructures for research and public administration. These infrastructures enable the analysis, storage, and sharing of data in areas such as climate, environment, energy, and health. Access to such high-quality datasets is essential, among other things, for training AI models.

# 3: We must cooperate closely with allies and like-minded countries

This brings me to my third and final point, which concerns the absolute centrality of international collaboration.

In practice, Europe has ceded to the United States and China the development of technologies, companies, and solutions that more than 500 million people on our continent depend on every single day.

I believe digital sovereignty is a question of balancing dependency on international suppliers and self-sufficiency. It is like our overall defence: it is not a task Norway can handle alone. We cannot build walls. Quite the contrary.

We need to be more strategic and develop closer ties with like-minded countries – to distribute risk, ensure complementarity, and reduce vulnerability.

Therefore, we work closely with the Nordic countries, the EU, Canada, and other partners. We seek to strengthen cooperation with both the United Kingdom, France, Korea and Japan in this field.

I am happy to see NORA and key actors from across the Nordic countries come together in the Nordic AIR partnership. This collaboration brings together strong academic environments across the region, helping to pool expertise, strengthen joint efforts, and give the Nordics a clearer and more unified voice in shaping the future of AI.

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Concluding remarks:

My time here today has come to an end. Let me finish where I started: the knowledge and capacity within NORA are central to the development of Norway’s AI policy. Thank you for your active contribution to the public debate, and for helping keep society well informed about artificial intelligence. You also serve as an important coordinating body and a go-to for the government.

I would also like to highlight your outreach activities – such as the CuttingEdgeAI events – which play an important role in promoting safe and ethical AI to a broad audience.

I look forward to continuing our strong collaboration. I have high expectations for what we can achieve together in the years ahead. I wish you a productive and inspiring annual conference. Thank you.