The Director of the Norwegian Data Protection Authority believes that the development of AI is moving so fast that it can be compared to the industrial revolution. He believes the government is not doing enough to keep up with technological changes.

Line Coll, director of the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, has worked with privacy for nearly thirty years – but never been as concerned as he is now.

– For the first time in my career, the developments that took place made me sick. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence, he said.

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority works to protect the privacy of everyone in Norway. And it is precisely this privacy that is being challenged by the AI ​​bonanza that we are now seeing in society.

– Privacy is a fundamental prerequisite for our democracy. No privacy, no freedom of speech, no freedom of opinion and other rights that we take for granted today.

Walk fast

The development of artificial intelligence has been described as being as important as the industrial revolution, explains Coll.

– Artificial intelligence lives on personal data. Without data, information, you don’t have artificial intelligence. That is why it is so important for us now to take the necessary action.

– What are you most worried about?

– How fast is the development. And that we don’t get the necessary control over development that we should have.

– Is the government doing enough to meet the rapid development of artificial intelligence?

– NO. Development has been very fast, and it’s hard to see that we get results from the work we put in today. Digitalization and the development of artificial intelligence move rapidly, while laws and regulations move much more slowly, and thus are often out of date by the time they are ready, says Coll.

– Not good or

Who in government is actually in charge of artificial intelligence?

Yes, that’s local government minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik. He is responsible for what in the public sector is called “information and communication technology (ICT)”. And thus our spearhead in government to deal with the stormy development of AI.

– Do we need stricter regulation of artificial intelligence?

– Yes, in some areas we need it. But most regulations in Norway are technology neutral. This means that there are general rules that also apply to new technologies and new actors.

– Artificial intelligence is not a matter of either or, but how, says Gjelsvik.

This summer, the Directorate of Digitalization has launched a supervisor for the responsible use and development of artificial intelligence.

Gjelsvik pointed out that Haukeland Hospital has used artificial intelligence to make analyzes more effective in cancer treatment, and that the technology can lead to many advances in society.

Gjelsvik pointed out that many regulations related to AI were introduced internationally along with other countries, for example in the EU.

However, Norway must also tackle development independently.

– I want to see if there is a need to see changes or tighten regulations, he said.

– I am very concerned that we do not have adequate control over important and sensitive information about people in Norway – children and young people are no exception. There we must have greater awareness. Among other things, we’ve seen a large amount of health information go astray.

Coll was only mildly impressed by the minister’s message.

– We talk about artificial intelligence as a new industrial revolution – and it is happening now. “It’s a shame then that we have politicians talking about assessing whether to look at regulations,” he said.