Sweden: AI use in government decision-making lacks documentation

Swedish government agencies are increasingly using artificial intelligence to support decisions regarding sickness benefits, taxes, and residence permits. However, there is currently a lack of documentation regarding which specific decisions are influenced by AI and how these systems impact legal certainty.

While the Swedish government has tasked over one hundred agencies with reporting their AI activities, early findings from the Ministry of Finance show that nearly all are utilizing generative AI. Most agencies cite ‘better decision support’ as a primary benefit and ‘legal certainty’ as a primary risk, yet many struggle to quantify or distinguish between the two.

With the EU AI Act requirements set to take effect in fifteen months, agencies will be legally required to ensure that AI usage is both traceable and controllable.