Sweden Unveils First National AI Strategy, Targets Global Top Ten as Vice-PM Busch Headlines New Delhi Summit

Sweden's government has unveiled its first comprehensive national artificial-intelligence strategy, declaring the ambition to secure a top-ten global ranking in AI capability and deployment. Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch presented the strategy at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20th, coupling the announcement with a suite of government press releases detailing new AI initiatives across public administration, education, and industrial policy. The strategy marks the fullest articulation yet of the Tidö Agreement coalition's technology agenda and positions Sweden's AI ambitions alongside its longstanding reputation for digital innovation.

Why It Matters

Sweden has long been regarded as one of Europe's most digitally advanced economies, home to a disproportionate number of tech unicorns relative to its population. Yet the country has lacked a unified national AI strategy even as competitors — from Finland's pioneering AI education programme to France's €1.5 billion investment plan — have raced ahead. The government's September 2025 declaration first flagged an AI strategy as a priority, and parliamentary debates throughout the 2025/26 session have repeatedly referenced it. The Labour Market Committee's report on employment policy (AU9) explicitly cited the forthcoming strategy, and multiple interpellation debates in the Riksdag chamber have addressed AI's role in public services, law enforcement, and economic competitiveness.

Political Landscape

The choice to launch the strategy from New Delhi rather than Stockholm carries deliberate diplomatic weight. India is the current G20 president's focus on digital public infrastructure, and Busch's presence at the AI Impact Summit positions Sweden within the global conversation on AI governance — not merely as a rule-taker absorbing EU regulations, but as an active participant shaping international norms. Domestically, the strategy arrives as the Riksdag's committees have been processing a record legislative output, including twenty-five reports in a single day on February 20th covering immigration reform and energy policy. The AI strategy adds a third major policy pillar — technology and competitiveness — to the government's pre-election legislative programme. Opposition parties, particularly the Social Democrats and the Greens, have criticised the government for moving too slowly on AI regulation and investment, while the Left Party has raised concerns about AI's implications for labour markets and surveillance.

What Happens Next

The strategy is expected to be followed by concrete propositions to the Riksdag in the spring session, covering AI investment in public administration, regulatory sandboxes for AI innovation, and workforce training programmes. The government has also signalled the expansion of the AI Workshop (AI-verkstaden) — a shared government platform for AI tools — referenced by Civil Minister Erik Slottner during interpellation debates on consumer protection. With the 2026 general election on the horizon, the AI strategy gives the coalition a forward-looking economic narrative to pair with its security-focused immigration and justice reforms. Implementation timelines, funding commitments, and regulatory details will determine whether the top-ten ambition represents genuine policy substance or pre-election aspiration.