91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

Since 2019, the Dutch government has invested considerable efforts into AI. It did so to capitalize on societal and economic opportunities all while creating the right conditions to be at the forefront of innovation and safeguarding public interests. Regulation of the European Union is firmly embedded within the Dutch policies and laws, not least with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Act which just entered into force. Respectively, these regulations are the first to systematically tackle the protection of personal data and stimulate the development of safe and responsible AI. Both, among other regulations on data sharing, procurement, and freedom of information, have wide reaching effects on organizations developing and deploying digital technologies such as AI; ensuring high degrees of transparency, accountability, and responsibility. 

An initiative aimed at increasing transparency about the use of AI and algorithms is the Dutch algorithm registry for the public sector, which was launched at the end of 2022. In this central registry, all layers of government publish data about the algorithms and AI systems they use in their activities, such as how those systems work. The information is publicly available and aims to strengthen trust of civic society in the public sector’s use of algorithms and AI. The registry currently holds over 600 algorithms. By the end of 2025 all central government bodies need to have their high-risk AI systems (in the sense of the AI Act) registered in this central registry. 

Ethics and trust are central to the AI discourse in the Netherlands. Institutions such as the Rathenau Institute, the Social and Economic Council (SER), the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) and Waag conduct research on the societal impact of AI, advocating for transparency and accountability in AI systems. Science and research therefore play an important role in the assessment of perceived impacts and ethical standard-setting in new technologies such as AI.  

The Netherlands also has significant judicial expertise when it comes to AI and international law. This also provides a possibilities for specialization in supervisory roles and arbitration.  

The Dutch government developed the Fundamental Rights and Algorithms Impact Assessment (FRAIA), which helps to map the risks to fundamental rights in the use of algorithms and to take measures to address this. FRAIA creates a dialogue between professionals who are working on the development or deployment of an algorithmic system and the government organization in question that is planning to start a project with algorithms for the implementation of FRAIA. 

The result of this tool is that all relevant points for attention when using algorithms are addressed in a timely and structured manner. This prevents organizations from using algorithms of which its consequences are not yet clear. FRAIA also aims to reduce the risks of carelessness, ineffectiveness or infringements of citizens’ rights. 

The Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI) advises on laws regarding digital infrastructures, implements regulations and monitors compliance with those regulations. In 2023, UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, the European Commission and the RDI launched a project Supervising AI by Competent Authorities, financed through the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI). With support from UNESCO, the RDI chairs the European working group on AI supervision. RDI and UNESCO also work together towards a framework for a global governance of supervision on AI. 

The Netherlands has a leading role in promoting cultural diversity and inclusion. This holds within the field of AI and beyond by emphasizing human-centered policies that align with human rights and ethical innovation. Dutch policy actively integrates considerations of equality, emancipation, and non-discrimination into AI development and deployment, ensuring that technological advancements are inclusive and beneficial to all societal groups including those that are most marginalized. Through collaborative programs and initiatives between government, academia, civil society, and industry, the Netherlands attempts to promote and prioritize diversity and inclusion to set a global example for ethically driven AI practices. Furthermore, the Netherlands has grown considerably more active in the field of digital healthy policy. It implemented policy fostering digital well-being in education, establishing the rights of children online, among others. 

The Netherlands is at the forefront of innovative research and innovation due to, and building on, several decades of investments. The funding mix has steadily increased and originates from several sources. Most funding comes from industry; second most, although decreasing overall, comes from the government. Uniquely, the Netherlands fosters public-private partnerships around the topic of AI through the Dutch AI Coalition. This partnership, among others, promotes interdisciplinary, ethical research and innovation of specific applications in the Netherlands and beyond. Primarily, the first beneficiaries of research and innovation funding are Dutch universities – organizations that are instrumental in advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and thereby supporting economic growth. 

The Netherlands has built one of Europe’s most advanced infrastructure and connectivity networks. Significant investments are made into 5G as well as into research on 6G. To support its largely services-based economy, Dutch industry can lean on hundreds of data centres scattered across the country. The Netherlands is home to several high-performance computers that play a vital role in advancing research and innovation. All of these are associated to government-funded initiatives or organizations.