Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is facing criticism after revealing he regularly uses artificial intelligence tools to seek second opinions in his role as the country’s leader.
Kristersson Admits Regular AI Consultation for Government Decisions
The leader of Sweden’s centre-right coalition government told Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri that he employs AI tools “quite often”.
Kristersson uses platforms including ChatGPT and French service LeChat to gather different perspectives on policy matters. He explained his approach: “If for nothing else than for a second opinion. What have others done? And should we think the complete opposite? Those types of questions.”
According to Kristersson, his colleagues also integrate AI into their daily work routines.
His admission sparked immediate backlash from technology experts and media outlets across Sweden.
Tech Experts Warn Against AI Use in Politics
Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet accused Kristersson of falling into “AI psychosis” in a scathing editorial. The newspaper described his behaviour as succumbing to “the oligarchs’ AI psychosis”.
Simone Fischer-Hübner, a computer science researcher at Karlstad University, expressed serious concerns about the practice. She warned against inputting sensitive information into ChatGPT during an interview with Aftonbladet.
“You have to be very careful,” Fischer-Hübner stated.
Virginia Dignum, a professor of responsible artificial intelligence at Umeå University, highlighted fundamental flaws in using AI for political decision-making.
She told Dagens Nyheter that AI cannot provide meaningful opinions on political ideas. The technology merely reflects and embodies the data and biases of its creators rather than forming genuine political insights.
Government Spokesperson Defends Prime Minister’s AI Usage
Tom Samuelsson, Kristersson’s spokesperson, defended the prime minister’s AI usage practices. He clarified that no security-sensitive information reaches these platforms. “Naturally it is not security sensitive information that ends up there. It is used more as a ballpark,” Samuelsson explained.
Despite these assurances, Dignum warned of increasing risks associated with AI dependency in government roles. She described the situation as “a slippery slope” where regular reliance on AI for simple tasks could lead to overconfidence in systems not designed for policy-making.
“The more he relies on AI for simple things, the bigger the risk of an overconfidence in the system,” Dignum stated. She emphasised the need for guaranteed reliability in government decision-making processes.
Dignum concluded her criticism with a pointed reminder about democratic accountability: “We didn’t vote for ChatGPT.”
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