Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence adoption is increasing. IDC expects that 75% of commercial enterprise apps will use AI by 2021. Customers who are delighted with the personalized experiences they get from brands, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, start to expect the same experience from every brand and institute they engage with. According to Accenture, 92% of US citizens report that improved digital services would positively impact their view of government. Therefore, governments are willing to invest in Artificial Intelligence. For example, recently, Danish architecture firm BIG and Chinese tech company Terminus revealed their plans to build an “AI City” project named Cloud Valley in the south-western Chinese city of Chongqing. In this article, we will focus on the top government-led AI solutions and strategies. 

Denmark’s Digital Growth

The Danish government allocated $134 million through 2025 as a part of their new Digital Growth Strategy. The goal of Denmark’s strategy for  digital growth is to make Denmark a pioneer in the digital revolution to develop wealth for every Danish citizen. PerLasse Grøn Christensen, a Tech Team Leader at Invest in Denmark said, “Denmark holds international strongholds in research within the area of big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning  and cryptography, just to mention a few, and offers a world-class software development talent pool. The strong focus of the Danish government to increase the number of graduates with a STEM background and to secure easier access to IT skills will be crucial for Denmark’s digital growth and a decisive factor for companies looking for locations to set up new R&D facilities.” 

United States Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center

The Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is building on its success and moving towards what its Director, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen, calls "JAIC 2.0." He wants the United States to accelerate the implementation of Artificial Intelligence within the DoD. Lt. General Groen has also overseen the granting of $100 million to Deloitte Consulting to create a Joint Common Foundation to help organize the pentagon’s Artificial Intelligence factory, secure it against intruders, direct its workers and test its products.

Singapore’s National Artificial AI Strategy 

Last fall the government of Singapore announced a national Artificial Intelligence Strategy to transform Singapore’s economy and improve the lives of citizens. The pillars of this national initiative are Transport and Logistics, Smart Cities and Estates, Healthcare through chronic disease prediction and management, Education and Safety and Security. Singapore, like the United States, has also successfully partnered with the private sector to further its national Artificial Intelligence agenda. In 2016 as a precursor to their Nation Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the government of Singapore teamed up with Microsoft on Microsoft’s Conversations as a Platform program to create next-generation digital government services for a Smart Nation.

Estonia’s National AI Strategy

Estonia has a goal of at least 50 AI use cases by the end of the year, building on its current 30. Estonia created a National AI Strategy, which resulted in a national plan for promoting the implementation of AI solutions in both public and private sectors. Part of this is the Estonian government investing 10 million euros through 2021 to push towards full implementation of this National AI Strategy. The government is also focusing on their national education system with AI in mind. Estonia has begun a change with the creation of a specialized Master of Science study program in the field of Data Science, including artificial intelligence. The nation will begin to include Artificial Intelligence in the curriculum for all general education schools. This is common sense, yet the brilliant approach to winning the future in Denmark. By starting their youth in these fields through school, Estonia can ensure great bench strength and an educated and ready generation of AI minds to come. 

China’s Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan

The Chinese government has not been shy in stating its goals are to enroll the world’s best AI talent, fortify the training of their domestic AI labor force, and lead the world in law, guidelines, and moral standards that advance the improvement of AI. China, more than any country on Earth, believes that Artificial Intelligence has the power to completely rearrange the power structure of the SuperPowers on Earth. Their Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan is the most “comprehensive of all national AI strategies, with activities and objectives for R&D, industrialization, talent development, education and skills acquisition, standard-setting and regulations, ethical norms, and security.” The Chinese Government has committed to developing an Artificial Intelligence industry worth 1 trillion RMB, with related ventures worth 10 trillion. 

Saudi Arabia National AI Strategy

Saudi Arabia is steadily making its way to the forefront of the global AI movement, announcing that it will invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence projects by 2030. At the recent Global AI Summit, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, stated “The year 2020, undoubtedly, has been an extraordinary year to test the potential of AI, as we witness the formation of a new global normal that is redefining our ways of life, working and learning.” 

Saudi Arabia is another country leveraging the power of public-private partnerships. The country has created outreach initiatives with the World Bank, ITU, and the UN. The nation also understands that the government alone cannot create and foster Artificial Intelligence that moves the country as a whole forward. Buy-in and participation from the private sector and the public as a whole are critical.

Canada’s AI Investment in Research and Talent

2017 was a landmark year for Canadian AI. The Government of Canada appointed CIFAR to develop and lead a $125 million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. At the time, this was the world’s first national AI strategy.

Canada wants to leverage AI to better the health of its citizens through its AI4Health Task Force. The country is also dedicated to including Artificial Intelligence in its education systems to create future generations of AI researchers and top minds. With entities like the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII) in Edmonton, the Vector Institute in Toronto, and MILA in Montreal, Canada is well poised to lead AI initiatives for the decades to come.