A ministerial role with breadth – but digitalization in focus
Slottner has been Minister for Civil Affairs since 2022, with a portfolio covering everything from municipalities and regions to procurement and administration. Despite this broad scope, around half of his time is dedicated to digitalization issues – an area at the center of both business and societal development in Sweden and internationally.
Generative AI is highlighted as a paradigm shift that creates new opportunities for welfare and business, but also raises difficult questions about ethics, legislation, and data protection. Striking the right balance between data sharing for innovation and protecting it from intrusions is a central political challenge.
Strategy, commission, and execution – Sweden’s digital initiatives
Three major initiatives are currently in focus:
- The AI Commission’s report with 75 recommendations.
- The National Digitalization Strategy (2025–2030), which sets measurable goals and annual follow-ups.
- An upcoming AI Strategy (2026) focusing specifically on the AI domain.
As a concrete example, Slottner highlights the planned AI Lab for the public sector, where shared AI models can be developed to avoid each authority building their own solutions from scratch.
Cybersecurity, cloud, and the 2026 election
With a heightened security environment, robust digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and redundancy are high on the agenda. Discussions are also ongoing around a government-issued e-ID at the highest security level, as well as the need for Swedish and European cloud services to reduce dependence on American providers.
But will digitalization and AI become major election issues? Slottner doesn’t believe they will top the opinion polls – but emphasizes that technology will strongly influence everything from healthcare to public debate. Generative AI may very well become a factor in the election, both through opportunities and risks, not least via disinformation and deepfakes.
Do you want to hear the full conversation about Sweden’s digital future, the opportunities with AI, and how politics is trying to keep pace with rapid development?
Listen to the full episode of Tech Royale with Erik Slottner here.
