Nordic learnings from AI in the public sector

AI systems in the workplace – from warehouses to public administrations – are often portrayed as a solution for higher productivity, cost-effectiveness, faster decision-making and improved service quality. Yet when these technologies are introduced into the public sector, their implications go far beyond performance and raise fundamental questions about accountability, transparency, democratic oversight, and the future role of civil servants. 

What are the potential biases, discriminatory effects, and other harmful outcomes of the use of AI? How will this affect the overall attractiveness of public‑service work, and could this lead to the erosion of public‑sector expertise? What are the democratic risks of encoding laws into proprietary code? 

As the frontrunners in the adoption of digitalisation and AI, the Nordics offer valuable lessons on how AI systems impact civil servants and the consequences of outsourcing and democratic governance. In the framework of the FEPS-Nordic Digital Programme, FEPS, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nordic Countries (FES Nordics), organises an expert roundtable on this topic on 29 April 2026 between 11:00 – 12:30 in Berlin. 

On this occasion, the first results from three case studies on the use of AI in public sector jobs from Finland, Norway, and Sweden will be presented and discussed with German high-level experts, key policymakers, and trade union representatives. Drawing on real-world examples, this roundtable aims to identify strategies to mitigate risks and find ways to implement AI responsibly – in the Nordics, Germany, the European Union and beyond. 

This event is by invitation only and part of the FEPS–Nordic Digital Programme, a collaborative research and policy initiative led by FEPS in cooperation with Nordic think tanks and trade unions. 

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Monty Aal, FEPS Digital Policy Analyst (monty.aal@feps-europe.eu) or Vanessa Zwisele, FEPS Project Officer (vanessa.zwisele@feps-europe.eu).