Digitalization and postal issues

Maria Stockhaus (M)

Mr. Speaker! This is a debate on the Committee on Transport's report number 16 Digitalization and Postal Issues.

The consideration also addresses issues regarding artificial intelligence. For many, AI has probably felt like science fiction. But on November 30, 2022, it suddenly became very real for the vast majority.

It was then that ChatGPT was launched. In one week, it got 1 million users. Although we probably all have used AI in various apps and so on, we have not been aware of it. But with ChatGPT, the debate about AI started in earnest.

Mr. Speaker! Under the previous Social Democratic government, there was much frustration within the IT industry in Sweden. It was seen that Sweden was falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to both digitalization and AI, despite the fact that we have world-leading companies, not least when it comes to infrastructure. Many pointed out the lack of political leadership in the area.

Now we have a new government that has placed the issues of digitalization and AI high on the agenda and is, among other things, working out a new digitalization strategy, and it has appointed an AI commission that will present its proposals as early as this autumn.

A fundamental prerequisite for Sweden to succeed with digitalization and AI is that the infrastructure is in place. The Government has tasked PTS, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, with analyzing measures to effectively increase the expansion of infrastructure for high-speed broadband.

The goal is to cover so-called white spots, that is, areas with households that still lack access to stable broadband. PTS estimates that as many as 98 percent of all households and workplaces will have access to a 1 gigabit per second connection during 2025.

Furthermore, the government has proposed additional investments in broadband expansion, including 1.4 billion kronor next year and continued support until 2025.

PTS is actively working to support the broadband expansion, especially in areas where commercial expansion does not occur. The Government is also investigating the possibility of accelerating the broadband expansion in rural and sparsely populated areas.

Mr. Speaker! We have a self-image as a country that we are very digital, and that is true to some extent. However, there is one area where we are lagging behind, and that concerns the use of digital solutions in the public sector.

The government took a first step towards a common digital infrastructure for healthcare with this year's budget. The goal is to improve the quality of care and patient safety by ensuring that the correct information about the patient is available in every healthcare situation.

The goal is also to reduce the administrative burden for healthcare workers through, for example, automatic transfer between systems. The infrastructure shall also facilitate the provision of health data for purposes such as research.

A prerequisite for being able to develop and train AI is the availability of large amounts of data. In March 2023, the government decided that Sweden should join the Open Data Charter, ODC, something that has been requested by the market for a long time. ODC is an international organization that works to ensure that data from public administration is more open and easily accessible while simultaneously taking individuals' rights into account. The government has tasked Digg, the Agency for Digital Government, with the responsibility for implementing the ODC charter.

Mr. Speaker! The new security situation also places new demands on electronic communications. Therefore, the government presented the bill on a telecommunications cooperation group. The proposals in the bill mean that PTS shall be able to decide that certain actors shall participate in total defense planning. The proposal gives PTS the authority to mandate actors to support the work of restoring the infrastructure for electronic communications in connection with events during peacetime crisis situations or when we are at high alert through cooperation. It gives Sweden better conditions for robust crisis management and preparedness within electronic communications.

Mr. Speaker! The report concerns digitalization and postal issues. Today we face great challenges with the forwarding of mail as more and more becomes digital and the number of physical letters has decreased drastically. Even though we are now heading towards summer, and Christmas cards feel distant, I suspect that many of you sitting here have stopped sending physical Christmas cards and switched to various forms of electronic Christmas greetings. Much else of what we previously sent as physical mail is now sent electronically.

There are great advantages to this. Firstly, everyone gets access to digital mail at once instead of being dependent on a physical delivery, and secondly, we avoid the use of a lot of paper, which is good for the environment. Furthermore, we avoid transport, which is also not good for the environment in all cases.

But a physical distribution organization is needed nonetheless, not least from a preparedness point of view. The question then becomes how it should be financed and organized when the amount of letters sent and for which postage is paid becomes increasingly smaller. The postal financing investigation submitted its proposals in January 2023 but has also received additional directives regarding digital mail. A report is to be submitted on June 14. After that, there will be a preparation to produce proposals on how future mail delivery should be organized and financed.

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal in the report.

In this speech, Gustaf Göthberg (M) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gunilla Svantorp (S)

Mr. Speaker! When one listens to Member Stockhaus, one could believe that the S government did nothing at all in the digital area during its years. I will return to that in my speech, but I just want to remind that it was the S government that appointed Ena, that is, Sweden's digital infrastructure, which is jointly managed by twelve agencies. Ena is working precisely with what Stockhaus spoke about.

I have a question that is included in the report. It concerns the Swedish National Audit Office's review of the state's efforts to develop the agencies' digital services. They provide quite concrete suggestions on what can be done to improve the digital services. I do not think I can see any direct directives that have emerged from this, but the government simply says thank you very much for the Swedish National Audit Office's report.

Please provide the text of the speech or statement you would like me to translate.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Maria Stockhaus (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is possible that Member Svantorp thinks that the previous government did very much in the digital area. But the actors I meet say something else. We receive strong signals from both the tech industry and public actors that leadership was lacking when the direction was being set. It is also about the inadequacy in safeguarding Sweden's interests in the area in the EU when negotiating something as important as, for example, the AI Act.

All of this was deficient from the previous government. This is, therefore, not my statement on the previous government's actions in the digital area, but it is more about how the market has perceived it. The market also perceives that this government has placed the issues much higher on the agenda.

Work is currently underway on a new digitalization strategy, and we are waiting for the AI Commission's proposal, which will arrive in October. All of this is in line with what the Swedish National Audit Office has proposed, and it needs to be worked on together with all the proposals that will come, both regarding the digitalization strategy and the AI Commission. I therefore cannot answer today what the concrete result of the upcoming proposals will be, but it will be a whole of the proposals that are put forward.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gunilla Svantorp (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is important to point out the direction. That was one of the things that was done during the previous parliamentary term, including when the program for advanced digitalization was appointed.

Member of Parliament Stockhaus is very skilled both in the speaker's chair and in debate articles at criticizing the public sector - to some extent correctly, as it lags a bit behind. But when will we, for example, see a similar program for the public sector as the one the S-government commissioned? That is one of my questions. One cannot just criticize, one must also want to do something and, for example, come up with different measures that can lead to increased digitalization.

Another thing that we need to point the direction for now concerns what we have seen in recent months and perhaps even over the last year. It concerns the dark side of digitalization, i.e., threats and hate that lead to violence. What responsibility will Member of Parliament Stockhaus and others take for this when the government travels down to Brussels and meets ministers from the other countries? How will our own minister try to influence them and put a stop to this through various measures?

It is important that people dare to be online and that they are not stopped. The internet should also not be used to recruit young people who then commit acts of violence, which we see. How does the government intend to stop such things?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Maria Stockhaus (M)

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to leadership in the field of digitalization, we will probably not agree on whether the previous government did enough or not. What is very clear is that both the industry and public actors have lacked leadership. It is clear that enough was not done during the eight years that we had a Social Democratic-led government.

When it comes to the public sector, the common digital infrastructure for healthcare today is very fragmented. This is concrete. I would say that in the worst-case scenario, this can lead to people dying because doctors do not have enough information about patients' health conditions. A common digital infrastructure is a good basis to start from later.

We have a system of self-government, and it is important that one can work together with municipalities and regions to move forward from this. But if we get a common digital infrastructure in place, it will be a very good first step in a better utilization of digital tools within the public sector.

When it comes to hate and threats, it is largely a question of human behavior, where people must take responsibility for how they behave online. Hate and threats are illegal, and it is about ensuring that we can prosecute those who engage in this, regardless of whether they stand here outside on the street and shout hate- and threat-filled messages at us or if it occurs via social media. Hate and threats are illegal regardless of which media one uses.

The big tech companies are doing a lot to reduce this. But ultimately, it is about us all having to take responsibility for the tone we have on social media. There is still a lot of work to be done, and we probably all need to look at this and be a bit self-critical regarding how we behave, not least on social media.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gunilla Svantorp (S)

Mr. Speaker! We are now debating digitalization and postal issues. I thought I would start with the postal issues.

The mail market is changing. We see it every day. We receive fewer and fewer letters, if we even get any physical letters in the mailbox at all. We who live in the countryside do not receive mail every day anymore either. One has to keep track of whether it is even or odd weeks that the mail arrives.

Despite this, service throughout the country is important. It concerns both letters and parcels. In one of our reservations, we state that profit interests must not govern access to letters and parcels and that society must have a guarantee. We believe that is the most important thing when it comes to the mail.

Digital infrastructure is today a prerequisite for a functioning society. It is as important as electricity and water supply. About 30 years ago, there were many wise municipal politicians all over our country who ensured that we expanded the fiber. They took the lead in many places - Värmland was one of these, but there were more.

So, eventually, the national broadband strategy arrived. We have also seen that the state has spent a very large amount of money on expansion so that we today, just as Member Stockhaus said just a moment ago, have 98 percent coverage. But 2 percent is still missing.

Our country is today governed in such a way that one can do very much digitally. In that case, everyone needs to have that access. It is therefore an important issue moving forward.

I am thinking about this fact that for a period of eight years, according to the member who spoke before me, we did nothing important at all. In that case, I think it is strange that we have an EU Commission that highlights Sweden as a good example of a digitally mature country, and that thanks to our expansion of digital infrastructure. If we had done nothing, if we had not taken the lead during the past years, we would hardly have been mentioned in that way by the EU Commission.

OECD also highlights the city networks and the competition they have created, which is argued to have played a decisive role in promoting investments in digital infrastructure. The city networks are important for redundancy, availability, and robustness.

Not least given the state of the world, it is also important to highlight examples of such things that happen and are happening all around in our country. As a person from Värmland, I gladly take a Värmland example.

In Karlstad, one works together with other local actors to try to apply what is called "island mode" on the broadband networks, i.e., that information should be able to be sent as small islands between different islands around Karlstad without being dependent on the outside world. This ensures that critical functions can be kept open and continue even in a crisis. The great thing about this example is that one involves local actors around Karlstad and takes advantage of the local expertise.

This was only one example. There are many more.

I would like to say something about our agency, Digg, and the interim report it submitted in March this year - a final report will be submitted in October this year - in which it has gone through the strategic priorities that we in Sweden have said we are to have. There are four such.

The first is the need for a cohesive digital public sector. There, Digg argues that what is needed is an increased use of common digital initiatives and that we make valuable data accessible.

The second priority concerns the human being in the digital society. When the Transport Committee was in Estonia, we saw a great deal of how they had solved exactly this. What Digg believes we need to do is to develop a digital meeting that addresses important life events and needs in a person's life, just as had been done in Estonia.

The third concerns the digital business sector. There, Digg argues that we need to utilize the opportunities to coordinate data sharing between authorities, counter cybercrime, and work towards a green and digital transition.

The fourth priority issue concerns digital competence. It is perhaps the one that I think becomes the most important here. Digg argues that investments are needed for the groups that we see today have fallen behind. It is needed to increase society's basic skills.

I mean that we probably need to listen to our expert authority. Perhaps we also need to present some proposals based on these four prioritized areas.

We Social Democrats naturally stand behind all our reservations, but for the sake of time, I move for approval only of reservation 13 regarding competence.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for a good speech, Member Gunilla Svantorp!

I had two questions regarding the Social Democrats' reservation 9 in the report. We agree on many of the points the member mentions from the rostrum - competence, cybersecurity, the importance of digitalization, and the importance of expanding access to digital tools and the internet.

The first question concerns artificial intelligence. The Social Democrats consider it of the utmost importance to regulate that technology within the EU but also on a global level. My question is how this is to be solved technically. Which body should regulate AI on a global level? What are the members' thoughts regarding that process?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gunilla Svantorp (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, member!

I think that the EU is a very important player in this context. Sweden can advocate for what we consider important there, and the EU can then advocate for it in its international contacts. The answer to the question is that the EU is the player, which can also ensure that we regulate so that it is we who control AI and not AI that controls us. It is very important.

Since I have the floor now, I would like to take the opportunity to ask the member a few questions. We see that hate and threats spread from the screen out onto our streets and squares. Not infrequently, the threat and hate are directed at socially engaged women who then perhaps no longer dare to speak out, who take a step back, who feel unsafe and who also sometimes receive direct threats of violence.

How does the member and his party think about this and about the responsibility one has? For example, troll accounts have been revealed where one does not stand for their own opinion but lets others do it. How do you think we can reduce the threat and the hate if we do not openly stand for what we think? The Sweden Democrats usually say that one stands up for freedom of speech. Then one must also dare to stand for what one does.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Member Gunilla Svantorp!

I understand it as that the member means that the EU should regulate AI and AI development globally. For example, the EU should decide how the USA, the UK, and China should develop their AI technology. Does the member really think that is a realistic scenario?

We already have an AI Act in the EU. It is finalized and will begin to apply partially from the autumn of next year and fully from the beginning of 2026. But I do not think it is realistic. Does the EU even have the possibility to regulate this in China and the USA? Is the UN, for example, not a better body when it comes to that?

My second question to the member concerns the proposal that the government should as soon as possible initiate an analysis of AI's impact on society. What does the member think about the AI Commission and the mandate that the AI Commission has received from the government? Does the member and the Social Democrats think it is constructive and good, or what is missing there?

Regarding the member's question, the Sweden Democrats' view on hate and threats is that the law applies. Everything that violates the law shall be prosecuted, regardless of whether it occurs in society, digitally or physically.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gunilla Svantorp (S)

Mr. Speaker! The last member's statement pleases me in some ways. Then the Sweden Democrats should stand behind the fact that accounts on social media must be traceable to a physical person. It will be exciting to see if the Sweden Democrats will stand behind that.

I think that one cannot interpret what we have written in a reservation in the way the member just did. All cooperation and all influence work is about entering a discussion with what one wants to do. Then, one cannot decide for others.

It is interesting that the member chooses to refer to the AI Act. If I remember correctly, the Sweden Democrats voted no to both the AI Act and DCA. Now the member cannot answer any more questions, but it would be interesting to know what alternatives one sees instead of regulation, which the AI Act and DCA are.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We are now debating the report on Digitalization and Postal Issues in this chamber. I would like to begin by moving for approval of the committee's proposed decision.

Mr. Speaker! Many of us expect to be able to make a call, send an SMS, or in some way use a telephone wherever in the country we may be, or for that matter, to be able to sit at home at the desk and use the computer. It has become natural and a self-evident matter for many.

Unfortunately, it is not as obvious for all residents in Sweden. There are today citizens in the country who cannot call with their mobile, because there is no mobile coverage. It is very serious.

During the previous parliamentary term, I had countless debates with various ministers about the strange fact that Telia, which is partially owned by the state, cut all the copper wire before there were alternative telephony systems that functioned. Unfortunately, the answer from the government side was always: It is technical improvements that matter.

Now, virtually all overhead lines are gone. But for some, there have been no technical improvements. Instead, there is no telephony or any broadband at all. It is truly regrettable.

It is also interesting when, for example, different media companies say that they no longer want to distribute the newspaper because they think it is expensive. That can be understood. Now they refer to the fact that citizens have access to broadband and can instead look at their iPad. But the person who does not have access to broadband unfortunately does not get access to the newspaper. This has also therefore become a democracy issue, Mr. Speaker.

I am, however, very grateful that the new government is investing billions after billions so that more people can have access to broadband throughout the entire country. It must work in the whole country if Sweden is to be able to function.

Mr. Speaker! The new government has understood the importance of Sweden being on its toes when it comes to AI. It is very good that the government has appointed an AI commission under the leadership of Carl-Henric Svanberg. The commission has a broad mandate that covers higher education, venture capital, public administration, welfare and security. It will be important.

Mr. Speaker! When we had a hearing here in the Riksdag some time ago, some speakers expressed that Sweden has historically not been on its toes when it comes to AI. Sweden has not been first on the ball, as they said. We have not been number two either, but perhaps number three or four. We shall not be anymore. The new government has truly understood that signal and has taken them at their word.

The Minister, Erik Slottner, has understood that the AI commission is important and has allocated 500 million to the Vinnova program Advanced Digitalization, which includes AI, among other things. It is a research and innovation program based on cooperation between the business sector and the state.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! We in the Sweden Democrats stand behind all of our seven reservations in the report, but to save time during the voting, I choose to move for approval only of reservation 10.

Mr. Speaker! Humans have always had a need to communicate at a distance. That need became even clearer during the covid-19 pandemic. In a well-functioning society, purposeful and secure systems for both physical and digital communication are required. This dynamic reality places high demands on those in power and responsible authorities. Certain infrastructure is particularly sensitive to data breaches because information about citizens and military and political leadership can fall into the wrong hands. It is therefore crucial to have secure procurement within the IT sector and effective security routines for Sweden's IT infrastructure.

Broadband in rural areas, both fixed and mobile, is important because the population is becoming increasingly dependent on fast and stable internet connection for both work and leisure. This is particularly important in times of crisis and unrest. Access to the internet is also a matter of democracy, as it gives citizens the opportunity to access information and participate in the digital public debate.

Having high ambitions when it comes to digital infrastructure is important. When society and services demand more digitalization, it is of the utmost importance that Sweden is at the forefront. Sverigedemokraterna are very positive about the expansion of the 5G network and want to ensure that the 5G network has satisfactory coverage with high speed and low latency throughout the country, where the need exists.

The government, in cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, has decided on 3.8 billion kronor in broadband support 2024-2027. This will provide good connectivity throughout the country, which makes it possible for households, the public sector, and the business community to effectively utilize the opportunities of digitalization. In addition to this, the government and the Sweden Democrats are allocating 500 million kronor to the Vinnova program Advanced Digitalization in the coming years to develop future digital solutions in Sweden. To keep Sweden at the forefront regarding next-generation mobile telecommunication systems, namely 6G, Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council are awarded 160 million kronor in 2025 for research in the field.

Mr. Speaker! The public debate on digitalization has for over a year been dominated by artificial intelligence, AI, after several prominent researchers and experts within the IT industry called for a six-month pause in AI development to identify and manage risks with AI.

AI is a field within computer science and technology where the goal is to develop computers and programs that can analyze data, draw conclusions, and make decisions in a similar way to humans. Instead of giving a computer exact instructions for each individual task, one tries to create algorithms and models that can learn from data to improve their performance and precision over time.

AI enables automation of complex tasks, predictions, and decision-making based on large datasets. The technology has enormous potential within various industries, including research, medicine, transport, agriculture, the financial sector, the justice system, social sciences, law, engineering, and much more.

Just as with many other of humanity's technical inventions, such as the internal combustion engine, the transistor, and dynamite, significant benefits accompany the development of AI. Despite all these opportunities, there are also risks and downsides to the development of AI, which has led to an extensive debate about AI's potentially dominant influence over society and humanity, as well as the related safety measures.

The Sweden Democrats do not believe that Sweden should wait until 2026 when the EU's AI Act fully enters into force, but instead should try to take necessary measures as soon as possible. Consideration should be given to Swedish society, citizens' rights, the business sector's competitiveness, and the technology neutrality of politics. Many regulations within, for example, the automotive and aviation industries have been introduced or updated after tragic accidents, but when it comes to AI, it could in the worst case be too late.

The Sweden Democrats' starting point regarding the regulation of AI is a reliable, competitive, and sustainable Swedish AI policy. By reliable, we mean that the risk level in the application of the technology must not be so high that fundamental values, rights, and freedoms are threatened. This shall apply to both private and public actors. At the same time, a well-thought-out AI policy should not diminish the business sector's competitiveness compared to other countries where AI development is at the forefront, for example, the USA and China. Consideration should be taken of small and medium-sized enterprises that lack the financial resources and labor resources to meet requirements set in bureaucratic regulations.

Among the proposals that the Sweden Democrats present for a reliable, competitive and sustainable Swedish AI policy are the establishment of a national AI commission composed of politicians and experts from the business sector and academia, the design of an ambitious AI plan for Sweden, the establishment of a coordinated national AI infrastructure within the public sector for storage, sharing and processing of data as well as the development of purposeful AI services. An increased general awareness of AI, cyber resilience and much more is also needed.

Mr. Speaker! Just over four months ago, the report Digital Government Index 2023 was presented, an international comparison of the digitalization of public administrations in 38 different countries. The comparison is based on the OECD's framework for what is considered a digitally mature administration. The top three are Korea, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, while all Nordic neighboring countries perform above average. In the overall assessment, Sweden ranks 27th out of 38 countries, just after Mexico. Among the six dimensions evaluated for all countries, Sweden ranks 10th when it comes to a data-driven public sector, but within the other dimensions, Sweden lies below average.

Much work is currently being undertaken by the government regarding digitalization policy, including the development of a new digitalization strategy, investments in digital infrastructure for healthcare, and a focus on artificial intelligence through the AI Commission. Despite this, the work needs to proceed at a faster pace and with more concrete proposals and reforms than the usual sequence of commissions, investigations, production of strategies, etc., if Sweden is to be able to climb higher in the ranking at the next measurement. The digitalization sector is developing very rapidly, especially regarding the business sector's digital transformation and innovative power, where lead times are sometimes measured in months and weeks.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Helena Gellerman (L)

Mr. Speaker! Today in the Committee on Transport, we are debating digitalization and postal issues. It has been just over a year since OpenAI launched its ChatGPT. More and more people have begun to understand what it means, what power there is in artificial intelligence, and how systems like ChatGPT can facilitate writing reports, programming, or summarizing media articles. The question is not if, but how the new technology will affect each of us across Sweden.

AI will provide enormous advantages in healthcare, education, and research, and for the maintenance of Sweden's road and railway infrastructure, which falls within our committee's area, to give some examples. Reports show a potential of 140 billion in savings within the public authorities.

At the same time, AI, like all technologies, can be used for a negative purpose: to control the population, spread disinformation, or allow known individuals to make statements that run counter to the person's values, i.e., in a faked way. The list can be long. The risk of spreading disinformation in a credible way is perhaps the greatest danger to our democratic system. Who can one trust?

During the Swedish presidency of the EU in the spring of 2023, important proposals were developed on how the EU should tackle AI development, including the AI Act and the Data Act. The AI Act is based on the four principles for sustainable AI. AI shall be fair and protect personal privacy while also being safe and transparent.

Mr. Speaker! The Liberals are technology optimists. The development of AI will have as great an impact on our society in Sweden, the EU, and globally as the ongoing climate transition. We must therefore increase the pace of our use of AI, so that we in Sweden, based on our values regarding individual freedom and our unique position as the world's most innovative country, can be involved in steering how AI will be applied here and in our global environment. It must be an AI based on ethical guidelines.

It is particularly important here to safeguard and develop the structures we have in Sweden that facilitate and drive the innovative system, for example Vinnova and the universities' work with the utilization of research results and cooperation with the business sector.

We have a platform to stand on. Sweden, for example, has come the furthest in Europe in the development of a technology like ChatGPT but which rests on open source software, which provides insight into how the system works. We also have great competence in the area. For example, the Swedish AI cluster has developed a proposal for an AI strategy for Sweden.

The government wants to strengthen AI development in Sweden and has appointed an AI commission which, together with various actors, shall review how we should work with AI going forward. A national AI strategy is an important piece of the puzzle here, together with increased competence in all areas of society, not least at the leadership level but also through investments within the entire school and research sector to enable the upcoming transition of Sweden's companies. They will utilize AI on a completely different level.

The AI development also points out that the fundamental digitalization of the public sector must increase significantly. Today's data systems must interoperate. We must find effective ways to share data, and the government's bill is a step towards removing obstacles to data sharing. The government proposes a supplementary law to the law on access to data. The law itself aims to facilitate the public sector's ability to provide data for new purposes. This shall occur provided that the requirements for information security and protection of personal data can be maintained and that it does not involve risks to Sweden's security.

The Government makes the assessment in the bill that the provisions in the EU Data Governance Act regarding the use of protected data should only be used by authorities and not by public enterprises, public service companies, or cultural and educational institutions. The Liberals consider this proposal to be well-balanced.

AI development is based on our ability to effectively utilize different datasets while simultaneously safeguarding personal privacy. Responsible authorities should be given an increased mandate to drive the digitalization of the public sector. Without a good digitized basic structure, Sweden's AI development will be slowed down.

The basic structure begins with infrastructure for data. Here we need to create better conditions for those who are to produce and provide data, because the handling of data is very costly. What data is needed and how can access to these datasets be facilitated?

In the basic structure, the expansion of our 5G network and broadband network is also fundamental. To increase people's and companies' access to broadband, we need to open up for different technical solutions so that we also get broadband in sparse areas and the countryside. The Government is investing billions on broadband throughout the country so that the whole country can benefit from the digital development.

The risks of digitalization must also be addressed. Digitalization must be combined with analyses of data security, the impact on personal privacy, and cybersecurity. The Data Protection Act and other applicable laws must be continuously developed to keep pace with technical developments. But at the same time, people must also be able to use necessary public services without being connected. We must ensure that everyone in Sweden can participate in society while we accelerate digital development.

Furthermore, it is necessary to place a defense aspect on what we do and analyze the vulnerability when we collect a lot of data with easy data access and when 5G networks cause society to be connected and the alternatives to the digital are dismantled. The Liberals truly welcome the increased interest in our country's preparedness in these matters.

Mr. Speaker! The postal service in Sweden is important, not least from a preparedness perspective. But digitalization has drastically reduced the number of letters sent. It is important that the postal service functions throughout the country and that it can be operated on a commercial basis. Mail, parcels, and broadband are important parts of the society's basic infrastructure for all of Sweden to function.

Finally, Mr. Speaker: We Liberals are technology optimists. We truly believe in Sweden's ability to take the lead in Europe within AI. We do so based on Sweden's capacity for data-driven innovation and digitalization's potential for old and new companies, and because we need to reduce costs within a continued good welfare state. We also believe that Sweden can show the way for a development where risks are minimized.

I vote in favor of the committee's proposal for a decision and against all motions.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! Today I am making a small guest appearance in the Committee on Transport's debate on digitalization issues. I would like to raise an area belonging to digitalization issues that perhaps is not so often raised within the Committee on Transport's area, but which I, as a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Defence, encounter daily. It concerns the security policy situation and how digitalization and AI affect our world in a large extent.

Sweden and the world face greater challenges today than in a long time, and in many ways we find ourselves in a new security policy situation with Russia's aggression against, attack on and invasion of Ukraine. Sweden is one of the world's most digitized countries. In many ways, it is an asset that opens up new opportunities to conduct activities both in the public sector and in the private business sector.

If used correctly, digitalization can make our lives better and our society much more efficient. We see this in many areas, for example how train layouts can be planned efficiently through the introduction of MPK, how Chat-GPT is a natural part of many people's everyday work, and how good internet coverage throughout Sweden is a prerequisite.

At the same time, Sweden is subjected to thousands of aggressive cyberattacks every day, around the clock. Our weaknesses are exploited by groups that wish us harm. The attackers consist of both private hackers, criminal networks, terrorist organizations, and states. Above all, China and Russia carry out advanced attacks on both companies and other states, but Iran is also noted as a clear antagonist to Sweden. Even the USA is aggressive in certain parts of cyberspace.

The increased digitalization and the rapid development of AI also entail increased digital risks. The internet of things, the so-called internet of things, means that more and more things are connected to the internet. It also means that enormous amounts of information are sent and shared over the network. Intelligent houses, smart power grids and measurements of health data can provide very precise information about both private individuals and larger societal changes, and in the wrong hands, even such everyday information can be misused.

The development of AI is moving fast across all industries, and regulations are needed that can balance and promote rapid technological development and entrepreneurship, while we as legislators must not be naive regarding how AI can be used by an antagonist.

AI can be used in most industries, from the transport industry with self-driving cars to the security industry through facial recognition as a control mechanism in large crowds. AI issues thus span all policy areas, which entails great demands for coordination. This was something that the Speaker also pointed out through an AI seminar here in the Riksdag some time ago.

I want to emphasize that in the same way that AI can contribute to a large number of positive effects in society, from the business sector to the public sector, there is a risk of unwanted or unforeseen consequences of using AI, for example, biased or manipulated data, lack of transparency, misuse, and purely hostile use.

Mr. Speaker! Hybrid warfare is characterized by a combination of traditional military means and irregular, civilian methods, for example psychological warfare, political influence, IT attacks, and electronic warfare. The boundary of what constitutes hybrid warfare is harder to determine than in a military attack. So-called gray zone issues can be understood as a state between war and peace, where hybrid warfare often constitutes a central part.

The purpose of using a gray zone strategy is to gain advantages and achieve political goals without having to face escalation and strong countermeasures from the opponent. It also provides an opportunity to test and demonstrate capabilities and study the ability to defend against these without it leading to a full-scale conflict. But it can also escalate into armed attack. Prior to Russia's full-scale attack against Ukraine, a high level of Russian cyberattacks aimed at destabilizing Ukraine before the military invasion was noted. Even Ukraine's neighboring countries have been subjected to Russian cyberattacks.

It is also noticeable that physical seizure and destruction of internet infrastructure is an important part of the more traditional warfare on the ground. According to the Ukrainian government, around 15 percent of the country's internet infrastructure had been destroyed in June 2022.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of aggressive attacks against Swedish critical infrastructure. This applies in particular to authorities and state-owned companies. Attacks against Swedish healthcare have also increased sharply. According to ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, public administration and government is the sector that is by far most exposed to cyber threats.

I also want to highlight a motion that I have written myself regarding so-called killer robots, mördarrobotar in Swedish, which was addressed in another report two weeks ago. It concerns fully autonomous weapons systems capable of acting without human control, programmed to act on their own.

With the help of AI, we are heading towards a world where decisions on who should be killed in a war are no longer made by a human but by AI. We have already seen examples of this in the war in Gaza. A long line of states has called for some type of regulation, and others want to see a ban. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called autonomous weapons morally objectionable and politically unacceptable. Fully autonomous weapons systems also put the question of responsibility out of play. Who is responsible for crimes against international law committed by a robot? Who should be held accountable for the murder of regime critics, genocide, or ethnic cleansing carried out by fully automatic drones?

Vänsterpartiet argues that fully autonomous weapons systems should be prohibited under international law, that Sweden should work towards a binding international convention against fully autonomous weapons systems, and that Sweden as a country should never participate in or promote the development of, or participate in other activities concerning, fully autonomous weapons systems.

Mr. Speaker! I believe it is necessary to be aware that the use of AI can also lead to discrimination, reduced trust, economic damage or harm to individuals, or a negative impact on democracy. Therefore, ethical aspects and privacy and security aspects must carry significant weight in all development of AI, whether it occurs within the business sector, welfare, the justice system, or for the defense of Sweden. The socially beneficial aspects, i.e., how welfare, the climate, and the public can participate in, and do participate in, this useful technology, must be considered at least as much as the interest in developing commercial innovations that can benefit the business sector.

It will be very interesting to follow the AI commission's work and conclusions, but it is not enough. The development of AI is moving faster than a commission can work, and therefore the government needs to appoint an inquiry with the aim of producing a national AI policy with an ethical code. I therefore believe that it should be required that AI is developed in accordance with a national policy with an ethical code in order for it to be able to be used in public activities.

With this, I move for approval of the Left Party's reservation 11 regarding an AI policy.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the speech, Member Håkan Svenneling!

Most of the speech concerned matters handled in the Committee on Defence, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and perhaps in the Committee on Civil Affairs when it concerns human rights. It was good that the member mentioned the Left Party's reservation regarding an ethical code for artificial intelligence. It looks much brighter this year; last year, the Left Party had zero reservations in the report regarding digitalization, and they were completely absent from the debate.

I understand that the member sits in another committee and handles other issues, but I have a question about the ethical code. Should the ethical code be for those who work? How should it be implemented in the code that engineers write?

There is already a code of ethics at the EU level that Sweden has been involved in and collaborated to develop. What should we do in Sweden besides what already exists? What should the government do?

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! As we describe in reservation 11, an ethical code is about the fact that we need better regulation at the national level. We are all in agreement in our speeches that this is an area where development is moving very fast, and precisely because many of the developments we see from the AI side can have a negative downside, new steps need to be taken and AI needs to be regulated.

I believe that we need to do the legislative work in many areas. The EU has been quite early with the AI Act that has been developed. It is good that the European Parliament has been at the forefront. Now the European Parliament enters a new term with a new legislative assembly after the EU election we saw yesterday, where the Left Party, unlike the Sweden Democrats, had great successes. Work is also taking place both at the national and global level, which is important to remember.

I listened to a briefing from the UN representation in New York. The UNGA session that takes place in September every year gathers all world leaders, and then Sweden together with Zambia, I believe that was it, is responsible for the development of a new global policy at a civil level for how this should work.

I heard how the member was interested in how we regulate China, the USA, and other great powers, and we do that on a global level. The EU is obviously an area where we can help and regulate to create a European development. As a leading nation, Sweden also needs to be at the forefront. We must not let others set standards for us but instead be proactive.

Such a code of ethics that we propose is part of the construction of the network of legislation that we need to have linked to the development. I absolutely believe that we need to have both a civil and a military leg in that work. Just because we address the civil part in some places, we must not forget that we also have to regulate the military parts in other places.

That is why I believe it is incredibly important to see both of these aspects and look at the wars that are ongoing right now, for example how drones are used in the war in Ukraine and how Israel has used AI technology to identify which attacks one wants to carry out in Gaza.

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Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Member Håkan Svenneling, for the answer! I did not quite get an answer on how to proceed at a public level.

Does the Left Party have any proposal on how to have the ethical code for the business sector? There, many actors - both small, medium-sized and large - are international. How does the Left Party think about this?

Here we are talking about a national perspective. It might not be appropriate to bring in Palestine and Israel in that context. I do not understand the difference. I know that the member is very involved for Palestinians and also has a Palestine pin on his jacket, but I am focusing on the national regulatory framework.

How, according to the Left Party, can the legislation help the business sector to have a better grasp of the ethical code?

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! We perhaps should have a code in place before we talk about exactly how the implementation should proceed.

I still believe it is important to state that there are quite large risks that we as legislators need to see when it comes to AI. If we have an AI based on machine learning, where one has looked at a dataset consisting only of white people, and from that concludes that an assessment should be made on a more mixed dataset, it can happen that the AI discriminates automatically.

If one has developed an ethical code that discusses what needs to be done to have machine learning with data that corresponds with the underlying material that the AI is to work from, then one is working against discriminatory tendencies.

It is incredibly important that both legislators and the government take responsibility for the rapid technological development and are clear about which ethical risks exist and how one can work with an ethical code, with the aim that the public sector should drive the development in companies so that we do not end up in a situation where ethical questions are misplaced.

One needs to look at the examples that exist, and I think that what we see in Gaza is a good example. There, Israel has used AI to identify targets that they have then chosen to bomb. It is the ultimate consequence – that a human being has been identified by AI and is a target, regardless of whether they are one or not. The war in Gaza shows that Israel has consistently killed many civilian people. Therefore, it is a good example to look at.

It is important that the Committee on Transport does not lose its way here and believe that Sweden is a small island where one cannot manage to lift the perspective and see that one is a part of the European Union and the legislation that exists at the EU level, but that one also exists on a global arena and that Sweden needs to act globally for a good AI policy so that superpowers and other countries can enter the same enclosure that we others find ourselves in.

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Anders Karlsson (C)

Mr. Speaker! We shall continue to debate the committee report TU16 Digitalization and Postal Issues. I would like to begin by moving for the approval of the Center Party's reservation 16 under point 9 regarding access to electronic communications.

It is far from obvious that one can communicate today with the help of one's mobile phone. It should be obvious. This can have major consequences, and it does when it comes to security and safety, but also when it comes to the possibility of living, residing, and running businesses.

An example of this I received when I visited Allan up in Årjäng. He operates a tourism business and has a lot of cottage rentals. He has been informed that there is telephone coverage in Årjäng, but there isn't. Evidentially, Allan cannot manage to communicate, and I saw myself when I was there that there were no bars on the phone. It was not possible to communicate.

Here we have a problem, as I see it. There are still companies and producers of telecommunications services who claim that there is telephone coverage when in reality there is no such thing. The theoretical maps where we see mobile coverage, therefore, do not work in reality. This is a dilemma for the business that Allan operates, but also for those who visit Sweden. Many foreign guests wonder what we are doing, because in other countries in Europe it works significantly better.

We in the Center Party have in motion 2457 highlighted that we want a roaming function where one can get better opportunities. If it does not work with one producer of telecommunications services, it should be switched over to another. We do not have this possibility today when it comes to private consumption and corporate consumption.

It is relevant to the matter that the fiber coverage works at Allan's. He had had landline telephony connected to fiber, so there were technical solutions. It was a solution that was not commonly used, and when it was disconnected, he was left there without communication. Possibly it is possible to call via the fiber function.

We must be careful that it is not enough to only solve the fiber issues with expansion, where we have fairly established goals. We must not forget that we also have to manage the mobile coverage in the entire country.

Nevertheless, fiber coverage is important, and it worked for Allan. I understand that there are successful fiber companies precisely in this area. Säffle Kommunikation, which I visited on the way home, has done an excellent job with its fiber network. They were early with expanding fiber, much because the copper network was switched off, which we recently discussed here. When it is switched off, it becomes important to provide alternative technology, and then it becomes fiber technology.

We were supposed to have a fiber coverage of 95 percent in 2020. I heard Maria Stockhaus's forecast of 98 percent in 2025. At the same time, we have the Rural Committee's goal of 100 percent. I believe that if there are any issues we should focus on, it is basic communication. It is important regarding both mobile coverage and fiber coverage in order to be able to exchange the positive effects that we are talking about. We will not be able to exchange the positive effects within healthcare and digital services if we do not have a uniform system throughout the country. Being able to work, live, and reside in the whole country is important.

It is also important that we, now that we have new technology with fiber as our main system, also secure the robustness of the system. Of course, that becomes step two, and we are there now. We have built in rings to strengthen the fiber, and we are building up battery backups for power outages. But we must work even more, given that this is our main system for communication today.

This will of course merge with the fact that we are now shutting down 2G and 3G and connecting 5G and further refined communication systems. They will merge, as I see it, into a common service with a way to communicate. We shall, of course, accommodate that.

When we shut down old technology, it is however important that we are careful to communicate it to the end customer so that the end customer does not suffer. All too often we see that we end up in a situation like the one we are in now, where we have to postpone a decision on the shutdown of 2G and 3G because we have not identified the problem picture sufficiently well.

Mr. Speaker! We shall also look a little at how this with mail works. Everything with communication is governed by consumers, and it is the consumers' choice to take hold of their newspaper in a completely different way than before. Today, people also buy much more digitally, which means that we must have a parcel delivery that works much better. It must also work in the whole country. We must set a minimum level - what is the lowest level we can imagine in the whole country? Then I believe that the market, beyond that, can handle the competition that is needed.

When we then look at the future, many members here tonight have pointed out that it is a future that has changed with the help of technology and AI technology. I believe that we will see this strongly driven by our companies and that our companies will come up with innovative solutions. Of course, it is great if they are in Sweden, but as with all areas, we will of course see a collaboration across the entire world when it comes to this development.

As I see it, what is important – and I also think we are on that path – is that we become a partner. It is important that we listen to where the companies are and what needs they have so that we have a relevant regulatory framework for a continued rapid development of the AI services and companies we have in Sweden.

(Applause)

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Linus Lakso (MP)

Mr. Speaker! More and more is being digitized, and it is a process that has been ongoing for a long time. We are becoming increasingly dependent on our smartphones and on connectivity to perform necessary tasks such as banking matters, buying a ticket for public transport, and so on - the list can be quite long.

Therefore, I believe - and we seem, fortunately, to be quite in agreement on this in the Committee on Transport - that it is a very important social responsibility to have good connectivity throughout the country, not least in the countryside. However, that is not quite the case today, as there are still white spots. Since basic public services are now so dependent on the technology functioning, we must accelerate that work.

Mr. Speaker! I therefore move for approval of the Green Party's reservation number 17 regarding access to electronic communication throughout the country.

Mr. Speaker! The possibility of working digitally on trains is also an important issue because it increases the attractiveness of the railway. Now, there are many other challenges, such as the fact that the trains need to arrive on time, but nevertheless, up to 50 percent of the railway sections lack mobile coverage today.

Even here, more needs to be done so that the connectivity improves as more and more people commute. For example, Trafikverket's mobile system, which already exists for all tracks, could be used, which is what is done in Germany. That would be a way to improve the connectivity along our railways.

Mr. Speaker! AI is perhaps the technology that is changing society the most right now or at least has the potential to do so. AI is about to revolutionize our everyday lives completely, and it is happening very fast. With new diagnostic techniques, diseases can be detected in a way that we perhaps did not think was possible previously, and new medicines can be developed. We see new models that can also help us in climate work, for example, with how we should use resources more efficiently and in that way reduce emissions.

Seeing how AI models can replace humans in more and more areas is both fascinating and a bit scary. The possibilities seem endless. AI could potentially become better than us at most things; it could become better doctors, better lawyers, better social scientists, better psychologists and perhaps even better teachers. Of course, there are things that we humans are still better at, but the development is moving very fast. No one really knows exactly how far we can go in this area either. Not least, the labor market can be turned upside down.

AI will affect almost everything we do. It could be a bit of a paradigm shift we are facing, and I think it is incredibly important that we in Sweden stay at the forefront as an innovative and innovation-driven country in this area. At the same time, it raises other questions, which several other speakers have touched upon. This includes, among other things, how we manage the risks of the development but also how we distribute the gains in society.

We know that it plays a major role what data artificial intelligence is trained on; we have already seen examples of AI that merely reflect an unequal and unjust society in decision-making rather than proceeding from the principle of all people's equal value. If AI is to be used by an agency in its decision-making in the future, for example, it is extremely important that it has been ensured that the decisions the AI makes are based on good decision-making foundations that do not become discriminatory.

We also need to include malicious and antagonistic use of AI technology in the calculations, which has also been mentioned here earlier. It ranges from it becoming easier to create manipulated material in the form of images and videos to the development of increasingly advanced autonomous weapons systems. Examples of other malicious use can be terrorist activities where AI technology that perhaps is intended to help people in healthcare is instead used to develop infectious and potentially deadly viruses.

Yes, the list of risks can unfortunately be made long, just as the list of opportunities. Therefore, it is incredibly important that we, while pushing for rapid development, think ahead. The EU has taken an initial initiative, but I believe that one needs to follow this development very closely because it is moving so fast.

Then I also think that perhaps we should already now consider the following: If we are now seeing this revolution in the labor market, how will the profits and benefits be distributed? Because if it turns out as many assessors believe, AI will be able to replace a long series of occupations, and this also applies to occupations with relatively advanced work tasks within the service sector.

Over the last slightly more than 100 years, we as a society have consistently achieved large efficiencies in the form of shorter working hours, but it is now over 50 years since we did that. At the same time, we have moved from a development where often only one in the household worked to two doing so, so in practice, we have indeed started to work more.

I think it is high time to look at, for example, a four-day work week. Here, the potential AI revolution can actually enable less stress, more time for children and family, and lower sick leave rates – if we take out some of this potentially powerful efficiency into shorter working hours.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Linus Lakso, for the speech!

My question concerns the Green Party's motion regarding mobile coverage along the railway. I hope the member has a grasp of why we have such poor coverage along the high-traffic sections, especially when it comes to high-speed trains. The reason is that the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, which auctions off frequencies to different telecommunications companies, does not set requirements for the companies to build where they do not need to build. There is no coverage requirement on the telecommunications companies from PTS.

I am interested in finding out how it works in Germany. The member mentioned that we can learn from Germany. How does it work there? How can we improve by learning from their processes, methods of work, or requirements?

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Linus Lakso (MP)

Madam Speaker! I thank Rashid Farivar for the question.

This is an example of how the connection along the railway can be improved, which I have heard mentioned. I think it is good to look at whether we can learn from Germany in this regard. I believe that both Rashid Farivar and I travel by train quite a lot and that we both experience how poor the coverage is and how frustrating it can be for many who are sitting and working - or trying to work, one might rather say sometimes.

If we can learn from good examples, such as Germany, or solve this problem in other ways and get it to go faster, I think we should do that.

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Rashid Farivar (SD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Linus Lakso for the answer. My question, however, concerned how it works in Germany, since the Member mentioned that we should learn from Germany to improve coverage along high-traffic railways.

I completely agree with the member that the coverage at high-traffic railways is very poor. There is data statistics on this. From the transport committee, we have raised this statistics to PTS; however, member Linus Lakso was not in the transport committee at that time.

How does it work in Germany? What can we learn from Germany, regarding what the member mentioned? In what way does it work better there? What can we learn technically or in terms of legislation? I hope the member has answers to this.

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Linus Lakso (MP)

Madam Speaker! As I mentioned, one example is that Trafikverket's mobile system can be used to improve the connection. This was the comparison with Germany, which is an example of a country that has succeeded better with the connection on trains. It is, however, not an exclusive example.

It is about allocating resources. I know that some has been done, but I do not believe that any of us is completely satisfied with how it is today. More needs to be done to improve things for everyone, perhaps especially for those who commute to work and want to be able to use the time on the train to work and in that way save a great deal of working time. This is also a good way to get shorter workdays and thus more time for friends and family.

I think this is an issue that should be highly prioritized, even though it is an important issue among many when it comes to railways, digitalization and AI, which we have debated today.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(The decision was to be taken on June 12.)

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