At the NORDHORCS meeting on October 23rd the topic of artificial intelligence was discussed in regard to status in the Nordic countries and a joint call. Each country gave an oral status and information on what is being done on AI in their country. AI is an area that is prioritised in several countries, with significant governmental funding. The meeting also discussed the use of AI in research and grant evaluation, linked to GDPR and data storage concerns as well as the possibilities it brings for recruitment of experts. Several of the national guidelines for research conduct and research integrity are being updated to include AI and security aspects.
NORDHORCS is interested in exploring a joint Nordic call on AI. The meeting agreed that the call should not look at the technology per se. The initiative should include both public and private sectors and public-private partnerships (PPPs). The importance of the ethical dimension was raised, and the research could explore which barriers the Nordic societies must overcome to release the potential in a Nordic setting.
The following action was decided: The NORDHORCS members will discuss within their organisation the idea for a call on the consequences and potential of AI in the Nordic societies. NORDHORCS also asks NordForsk to come back with a suggested outline for an initiative to be discussed at the March meeting 2024.This discussion paper is NordForsk’s response to the task from NORDHORCS.