The Heads of the Nordic research funding organisations (NORDHORCS) is interested in exploring a joint Nordic call on AI and has asked NordForsk to produce a suggested outline for an initiative to be discussed at the NORDHORCS meeting March 18th, 2024.This discussion paper presents NORDHORCS with background material, scenarios, and recommendations as a starting point for the deliberations.
Preparing the discussion paper NordForsk has briefly mapped and analysed ongoing and planned activities, priorities and strategies on national, Nordic and EU level. As the development of AI and the use of AI tools is rapidly and constantly changing, this work should be considered as cases and examples of importance more than as a fixed starting point.
With regards to priorities within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Council there is currently a focus on ethical and responsible use of AI in the context of democracy, sharing of data, knowledge and expertise as well as the need for capacity building. The EU has large funding schemes for AI research and innovation activities and is currently reaching the final stages of approval of the legislative AI Act. AI is clearly also a priority for the Nordic countries with national strategies and funding for research and innovation.
The NordForsk administration presents two scenarios for funding of research and innovation activities at the Nordic level in this paper. Calls could be either open, with a degree of focus, or with a more thematic scope focusing on areas of Nordic added value. NordForsk also outlines some recommendations for NORDHORCS to consider. NordForsk recommends establishing a Nordic initiative for research and innovation on responsible and ethical use of AI. The initiative could have a multi-tool approach, with activities such as calls, workshops, working groups addressing different needs and purposes on various levels. The NordForsk administration is prepared to allocate personnel resources to coordinate a Nordic multi-tool initiative on AI consisting of variety of activities and proposes to establish a committee consisting of interested funders with the mandate to develop and flesh out the activities and tools that an initiative would consist of.
The NordForsk administration believes that there are sound arguments for funding joint primary research and network activities in this area. A working title for the initiative is NAIC – Nordic Artificial Intelligence Collaboration. Considering that AI has relevance for and impact on all sectors of society and is rapidly evolving in unpredictable ways, capacity building among research and innovation communities is central for developing sound and informed responses and governance structures. An added value of Nordic initiatives is that they can be fast and flexible and address Nordic common priorities and needs. In addition, NordForsk recommends activities for competence building and knowledge sharing between funders. NordForsk recommends focusing on identifying instruments and thematic scoping with the broadest possible support and ambition among the funders within the timeframe indicated in this discussion paper.