Erika Sjödin: "Ignorance about AI creates fear"

What is required to responsibly utilize the full potential of AI technology? In TechSverige's interview series Focus: AI, the Swedish Companies Registration Office's Erika Sjödin, who was nominated for AI Swede of the Year this year, gives her view on the development.

- The final place is proof that the AI hub, which is a team at the Swedish Companies Registration Office, does good things that are noticed and hopefully inspire others, says Erika Sjödin and continues:

- I hope that our organization is proud of us and the competence we possess, despite the fact that we are few and that AI work is not a high priority for us. With that realization, I hope that more people see that it is possible to work with AI regardless of the conditions. Small means are better than none and everyone can do something if they dare and want to!

Can you tell us about yourself and your work?

- I have experience from the government world and as an entrepreneur, focusing on bringing organizations together to find solutions to common problems. During my three years as innovation leader at Bolagsverket, I have also become a product owner for our AI hub and see great potential in AI as an innovation tool. Our team, consisting of me, three developers and three data analysts, corresponds to about 3.5 full-time resources and we work closely with business experts and other organizations. Funding comes from various departments within the Swedish Companies Registration Office. Our work is exploratory, but with the aim of delivering concrete solutions. We share knowledge with both public and private actors and are constantly learning as we have several AI models in operation and many ideas. My skilled team and I focus on understanding and addressing challenges and often visualize our concepts to show the potential and secure funding for further work.

The development in the field of AI is fast. From your perspective, what are the current trends in development and use?

- What has happened in 2023 is really distinctive in terms of AI and the development of the major language models. My "scrummis", colleague Adam said that "it feels like we got a hammer and see nails everywhere". It has endless uses and can simplify virtually everything. The increased risk awareness around AI is positive in itself, but should not stop development. An elderly relative was a little horrified by my final place as AI Swede of the Year because he had read that AI can be used for terrible things and not least replace us humans. Perhaps the media image of AI is based mainly on what we like to read about? First, it is largely thanks to AI and the ability to analyze large amounts of data that we are able to move freely in society as we pushed back a pandemic faster than ever. Second, AI should be seen as giving us a superpower of our own, and not as a substitute for humans. Think of it as the years when we all started using the internet. I wish we had more opportunities to highlight all the good it is used for like saving lives and making life easier. Ignorance creates fear that holds back the development that can make the world a little better and prevent AI from being used in the wrong way.

What do you think will be the next big development leap linked to AI and in which area will it be applied first?

- The next big leap in development will come when we all understand the potential and implement various solutions. The large international companies have been working with AI for a long time and more are following, which affects different ecosystems. This places demands on the players around to generate new value for customers and for society. In the business domain, where we operate, this was noticeable at an event we organized. One of the wishes was to be able to collaborate and have a joint dialog about AI. I find it difficult to point to a specific area, other than that it eventually becomes a necessary part of delivering the business / mission regardless of the area!

What is needed going forward to harness the full potential of AI technology while doing so responsibly? 

- We need the courage to invest! We need leaders who see the potential and are actually involved in what is being done and the benefits it generates. It is no longer enough to read reports and receive presentations. We also need more collaboration between the public and private sectors to learn more and eliminate real threats. To harness the full potential of AI technology, we need to stop talking and start doing to learn! In the public sector, there are many barriers to sharing data etc. and this is one of many problems that need to be solved to realize many smart ideas. This is also when we start to create the right regulations that are not only necessary but also relevant to harness the potential of AI and minimize the threats in the longer term!