Over a hundred AI gifts before Christmas 

For those of us who closely follow the government's approach to AI, there has been tense anticipation regarding what the government will include in the authorities' regulatory letters for 2026. The regulatory letters describe how the authorities are to work and how the money is to be spent. The authorities are also given specific assignments in the letters. 

This year, the regulatory letters arrived early as a Christmas present. Over a hundred authorities have been tasked with reporting on how they can increase their capacity to use AI and new technology through data-driven work. Furthermore, universities and colleges must report on how they are working to develop their educational offerings in AI and their efforts to integrate AI elements into their programs. 

This is entirely in line with TechSweden's proposals for Swedish AI policy, although we have even more proposals on our wish list. Here, too, the government is acting within its mandate – to govern the authorities and through the strong role that the public sector plays in the field of education.  

If the authorities do a good job now, it will be easier for them to engage TechSweden's member companies and develop the right AI solutions for government administration. Perhaps we will also make some progress in reducing the skills shortage. 

In their description of the assignment, Minister for Public Administration Erik Slottner and Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz also clearly emphasize the work with data in public authorities. It is important to remember that this is also important for the development of the private sector's use of open data to build new and smart services based on data collected by the public sector using taxpayers' money. 

Ministers need to be extra vigilant after Christmas. Brussels didn't just come up with regulatory simplifications – proposals have been put forward that would enable the authorities to increase the fees charged for data that citizens and businesses have already financed. This will not strengthen data-driven innovation in Sweden. Our country has more than twice as many companies that are data providers (per capita) as the EU average and would probably be disadvantaged by the proposals. 

Well, Christmas is coming soon. Even though today's announcement was truly a Christmas gift, TechSverige is not throwing its wish list in the recycling bin just yet. We look forward to the government's AI strategy and hope for more AI gifts throughout 2026.

Fredrik Sand
Economic policy expert