Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson revealed in an interview with Dagens Industri published on 3/8 that he regularly uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools in his work. "I use these tools quite often, but only to get a second opinion: what have other countries done? Should we think completely differently? Questions like that," he explained.

Kristersson specifically mentioned ChatGPT and the French messaging app LeChat as two applications he employs.

The 61-year-old prime minister also stated that the government aims to utilize AI and digitalization to manage the vast amount of data involved in national governance. He believes that applying technology will be highly beneficial for experts and political advisors, acknowledging that his cabinet colleagues also use AI in their daily work.

Tom Samuelsson, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, later clarified that Kristersson exercises caution when using AI. "Of course, no sensitive information is revealed when he uses these tools. It's just a way of getting a second opinion," he said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visits Finland on 26/5. Photo: AFP

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visits Finland on 26/5. Photo: AFP

However, Kristersson's revelation has sparked controversy in Sweden. Some technology experts have expressed concern over politicians using AI for policy advice. The center-left newspaper Aftonbladet published an editorial warning Kristersson not to "fall for the AI craze created by financial corporations."

Simone Fischer-Hubner, a computer science researcher at Karlstad University, cautioned that Swedish politicians should be extremely careful when sharing information with ChatGPT due to security risks.

Virginia Dignum, a professor of AI ethics at Umea University, argued that AI cannot provide truly objective political opinions and may reflect the views of its creators. "The more we rely on AI for small things, the greater the risk of developing overconfidence in the system. This is a risky path. What we need is credibility. Voters don't vote for ChatGPT," she told Dagens Nyheter.

Meanwhile, Swedish political expert Elias Rosell offered a more open perspective on the use of AI in politics. He believes it's only a matter of time before politicians embrace AI, as it is likely to be "one of the key factors shaping this century."

Rosell wrote, "It's a good thing for politicians to be curious about new technologies and have an inquisitive spirit. They are the ones who will create regulations for managing technology and address any arising issues. If a politician experiences the technology firsthand, they will understand it better than just knowing the theory."

Mathias Sundin, a member of Sweden's AI Committee established in 2023, commented to Dagens Industri that Kristersson had used AI tools "in the right way."

He noted that large language models (LLMs) are trained on information "from the entire internet and hundreds of thousands of books," and therefore can certainly offer valuable perspectives on a wide range of questions.

Thanh Danh (Guardian, Dagens Nyheter, Dagens Industri)