RAKOS in AI Debate at Arendalsuka 2025

How can artificial intelligence (AI) contribute to better healthcare services and a more efficient public sector? This was the key question when RAKOS director Thomas W. Lindner joined a panel debate at Arendalsuka 2025, together with Minister of Digitalisation Karianne Tung and other leading voices from research and public administration.

Speakers highlighted how AI can already be used to calculate where ambulances should be positioned, how vaccines can be distributed most effectively, and how society can prepare for floods and other crises. At the same time, important questions were raised: Do we want AI to decide who receives which services? Is the technology mature enough, and how can we ensure it does not produce wrong or unfair answers?

Professor Morten Goodwin (University of Agder) argued that Norway should invest more in AI development, while research director Annette Stephansen (NORCE) emphasized that technology is never completely neutral. Other panel members included Kristin Weidemann Wieland (KS) and Tore Tennøe (Norwegian Board of Technology).

For RAKOS, this was a valuable opportunity to contribute to the discussion on how AI can be applied in healthcare in a safe and responsible way. – It was both rewarding, exciting, and useful to take part in this conversation, says Lindner.