AI and federalism in Switzerland
The challenge of artificial intelligence meets the complexity of the Swiss federal system. An analysis of the opportunities for effective and sustainable multilevel governance.
How to govern innovation in the federal system
Artificial intelligence (AI) poses complex regulatory challenges, which in Switzerland are intertwined with the federal structure of the country. The division of competencies between the federal government and the cantons can complicate regulatory harmonisation, but it also offers opportunities for experimenting with innovative solutions. This article explores how Swiss federalism can foster effective and shared AI governance.
The urgency of regulating AI
AI is transforming sectors such as healthcare, justice, mobility and public administration. Switzerland, with research centres of excellence such as ETH Zurich, EPFL, IDSIA and IDIAP, is a global leader in AI patents per capita, especially in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. This ecosystem, supported by a stable political environment, attracts tech giants such as Google and IBM. However, the adoption of AI raises ethical and legal questions: how to ensure transparency, accountability and respect for fundamental rights? How to prevent discrimination or inequality? Switzerland must adapt the international principles of the OECD and the Council of Europe to its federal system.
The challenges of federalism
Swiss federalism, with competences divided between the Confederation and the cantons, presents certain challenges:
- Regulatory fragmentation: areas such as health and justice, which often fall under cantonal competence, risk generating heterogeneous rules, hampering interoperability.
- Complex harmonisation: reconciling cantonal autonomy with uniform standards is a challenge.
- Pace of innovation: federal decision-making processes may be too slow for the rapid development of AI.
The opportunities of federalism
Swiss federalism also offers unique advantages:
- Federal laboratory: cantons can test innovative regulatory approaches, evaluating their effectiveness before national harmonisation.
- Consolidated coordination: Intercantonal conferences (e.g. EDK for education, GDK for health) promote common standards without centralism.
- Virtuous cooperation: the federal government can support cantonal pilot projects and define minimum regulatory frameworks.
Who is at the forefront of AI innovation?
An AI ecosystem of excellence
Switzerland boasts a compact research ecosystem with synergies between universities, industry and start-ups. Political stability and the pragmatic support of the Confederation and cantons strengthen the country’s attractiveness for innovation in AI.
Proposals for effective governance
To harness federalism in AI regulation, we propose:
- Light harmonisation: shared guidelines on transparency and auditing of algorithms, respecting cantonal autonomy.
- Local experimentation: cantonal pilot projects to test AI in public services, such as healthcare or mobility.
- Joint ethics committee: a federal-cantonal body to assess ethical impacts and propose standards, modelled on existing commissions.
- International cooperation: representing Swiss interests in global bodies, integrating cantonal perspectives.
Artificial Intelligence at the Service of the Swiss Confederation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in the Swiss Confederation to optimise work processes. MeteoSwiss has been employing AI since 2017 for the automatic measurement of pollen, while the Federal Statistical Office uses neural networks and Random Forest algorithms to classify aerial images in surface statistics. The Competition Commission uses AI to detect fraud and collusive behaviour in tenders. Chatbots such as “Esi” and one under development at SECO answer questions from experts and citizens. In parliamentary services, AI supports machine translation and speech recognition for speeches, improving efficiency and freeing up human resources.
Swiss federalism, with its balance between cantonal autonomy and national cooperation, offers an ideal framework for the management of artificial intelligence. By promoting coordination between cantons, innovative experimentation and the adoption of common ethical principles, Switzerland can develop a responsible and pioneering approach to AI, consolidating its position as a global leader in innovation.
