AI Policy – Netherlands

The following description of AI policy in the Netherlands provides a snapshot summary of some previous and ongoing initiatives throughout the country. It is regularly updated as feasible, but it is not intended to be comprehensive. 

As of February 2020, there is also extensive information, data, and graphics about AI policy in the Netherlands available at the OECD AI Policy Observatory.

The Strategic Action Plan for Artificial Intelligence was launched on the 8th of October 2019 by the Secretary of State Mona Keijzer (Ministry of Economic Affairs) on behalf of the Cabinet at the Humanity Hub in The Hague.

With more than a hundred concrete actions such as intensive cooperation with industry and science and by investing public funds, the government will use the social and economic opportunities of AI for the Netherlands. The action plan is aimed at exploiting the opportunities of AI and includes financing for researchers and entrepreneurs.

The action plan also focuses on essential framework conditions for the successful application of AI such as: (1) training; (2) data use; (3) digital infrastructure and; (4) the protection of citizens’ rights with appropriate ethical and legal frameworks.

The cabinet is already investing tens of millions of euros in AI every year, with 64 million euros invested in 2019. The ambition is to double this in order to develop AI applications together with companies and knowledge institutions. Currently, 65 parties, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, are working together on this in the Dutch AI Coalition. This public-private partnership was launched in October 2019 and forms the basis for AI’s Dutch approach with its strategy. The coalition aims for a multi-year public-private investment of a total of two billion euros in seven years.

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