Norway Set to Announce New Minister for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence
To be announced on Monday the 16th of October 2023
According to NRK, it is likely that the Norwegian government will create a ministerial position with responsibility for digitisation and artificial intelligence. The article detailing the changes in the ministerial positions of the government says the following in its summary:
“It has already been clarified between Ap [Labour Party] and Sp [Centre Party] that the Labour Party will get one new ministerial post in the government, namely a minister for digitisation and artificial intelligence. There are many indications that this change will come now.”
As part of a larger government reshuffle in which Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt may step down, sources tell NRK that there will be a new ministerial post. According to NRK’s sources, it has already been clarified that a government minister for digitisation and artificial intelligence will be established.
According to what DN learns, Jonas Gahr Støre will replace the government staff next week, possibly as early as Monday the 16th of October.
Why is this happening now, and how could it happen?
It is thanks to the B Protocol.
The B Protocol — prior agreement for a new Labour Party Minister
Today, the Labour Party has 11 ministers and the Centre Party eight. The reason why Støre can now expand the government and allow Ap to get an extra minister lies in a secret agreement, a so-called B protocol, which was negotiated during the negotiations with Sp in Hurdal about government power in autumn 2021. DN mentioned this agreement for the first time in in connection with the dispute over the possible dissolution of Kristiansand municipality last summer.
B-protocol is a term for a document that very few in the governing parties know the contents of. It is the agreement between the parties on how sensitive matters are to be resolved and which the government does not see any benefit from becoming known to the public. Both Jens Stoltenberg and Erna Solberg had such a secret agreement.
Norway had digitalisation ministers in the past: Erna Solberg made Nikolai Astrup the first of his kind in 2019. It only lasted until 2020. From 2020, it was Linda Hofstad Helleland who got the job, in combination with being district minister.
How could this change the field of AI in Norway?
With more attention to the topic and the 1 billion NOK towards AI research that I outlined in an earlier article this could certainly strengthen Norway’s work on the field.
As I wrote earlier this week ‘artificial intelligence’ was featured across most of the budget proposals for 2024 by the Norwegian government. Artificial intelligence is mentioned by all ministries except Ministry of Children and Families, Ministry of Trade Industry and Fisheries and Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Great to see AI being discussed so broadly. AI is mentioned 85 times across the budget proposals. I will go through these different statements in my article, I have started with some.
In addition to seeing who will get the minister post it will also be interesting to see who will gain the role as the political advisors to the new minister.
This is also part of my personal project #1000daysofAI and you are reading article 516. I am writing one new article about or related to artificial intelligence for 1000 days. The first 500 days I wrote an article every day, and now from 500 to 1000 I write at a different pace.
