Open Source AI as Sweden's Path to an Independent Digital Future

By 2035, AI will form the backbone of public digital services and physical infrastructure. Open Source AI will be critical for nation states, industries, and citizens to ensure transparency, control, and sovereignty over models and data inputs.

The Challenge

Much of today’s AI development is controlled by dominant foreign players, limiting Swedish and European access and transparency. This creates dependencies that could compromise digital sovereignty and long-term societal resilience.

The Solution

Open Source AI enables collaborative development, allowing governments and industries to freely study, modify, and share implementations—similar to open source software models that have proven successful in other domains.

Benefits of Open Source AI

The advantages of embracing open source approaches to AI development include:

• Accelerated training through shared resources and knowledge
• Increased transparency in how models work and make decisions
• Reduced vendor dependency on foreign technology providers
• Improved interoperability across systems and organizations
• Democratized access to AI capabilities for smaller actors

The Balancing Act

Openness introduces risks including unethical uses, cybersecurity threats, and disinformation potential. These challenges require careful governance frameworks that balance innovation with responsible deployment.

RISE’s Contribution

RISE is actively researching how Open Source AI can be collaboratively developed. A recent study examines 14 different open Large Language Models across diverse geographical contexts, including ones developed by companies, public research institutes, and grassroots organisations. The research explores organizational structures, datasets, and community motivation patterns.

Open Source AI is essential for driving innovation and competition, as well as meeting the increasing demand for transparency and control in how AI technologies are developed and deployed.