AI Pioneer Göran Lindsjö: From Linköping to the White House – A Journey Through the World of AI
With over 40 years of experience in the field, the AI nestor Göran Lindsjö shares his insights on how AI has evolved and impacted both businesses and societies globally.
In a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming both businesses and societies, few have as long and broad experience in the field as Göran Lindsjö. With a career that began in the 1980s, when AI usage in Sweden was still in its infancy, Göran Lindsjö has helped shape its development both nationally and internationally. From working on the commercialization of AI tools in Sweden to nowadays advising some of the world’s most influential organizations and decision-makers, Göran Lindsjö has witnessed how AI has changed everything from welfare to business models. In this interview, he shares his experiences and insights about AI’s role in our future.
You have a very long and solid background within AI. Can you tell us how it all started?
When I was a teenager, I read a bit about AI in the school library in Mjölby, but also the so-called bicycle issue of Scientific American in 1973. There was an article describing how humans were inefficient compared to several other animals in terms of energy use for movement. But humans had the ability to create tools, such as a bicycle, to become the most energy-efficient creature. It was fascinating to later see Steve Jobs describe how he was influenced by the same article. Combined with my interest in the logical aspects of AI, this led me to want to contribute, in some small way, to the reasoning aspects of creating new tools. At 17, I described a mathematical game that was published in Scientific American the following year and was actually put to some use.
A few years later, in the mid-80s, Swedish AI research was concentrated in Linköping. Several of the researchers started the company Epitec to commercialize their results. I applied to work there because I was intrigued by the way logic was handled, and above all, fascinated by the applications we worked on. We had an incredibly fun time for several years, and it shaped my view early on about how fundamental AI could improve business and welfare.
Can you tell us about your international AI experiences?
I started working internationally early on. Initially, it was with the export of our Swedish AI tools, and later with American AI solutions in the European market. In countless meetings in North America and Europe, I was infected by the American enthusiasm for AI’s possibilities. The Nordic countries were often ahead in applications compared to the rest of Europe. Much later, in the spring of 2016, we moved to Washington DC for various reasons. By then, the AI revolution had begun in North America, and it was incredibly exciting to be operational on the ground as AI changed the conditions in several industries. I had the privilege of working with the major AI companies, leading analysts, political advisors, and both the private and public sectors.
“With AI, one can work broader and more on human terms. This means that many AI applications can be based on interaction with, for example, customers or citizens rather than being based on well-defined internal processes.” – Göran Lindsjö
I know you've been to the White House in the US to discuss AI. Can you tell us about that?
Three of us from AI Sweden had the privilege of meeting with the Biden administration’s central AI office at the White House, as well as the president’s national security advisor, among others. We also had interesting discussions with, for example, the US Department of State. Everyone was very open to us, and perhaps the main takeaway was how necessary it is for the US, together with its allies, to lead the development of AI.
You’ve worked in the Swedish Government Offices. What lessons did you take away from there?
I worked, among other things, on the digitalization of major agencies. The Government Offices are a well-oiled machine for cooperation with the EU and for implementing political decisions. It is more operational than strategic or advisory to the government. In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to work more closely with some Western counterparts to the Government Offices and often feel they have a higher strategic level.
Which regions and countries have advanced the most in AI? How do Sweden and Europe compare?
According to various rankings, which state that the US leads followed by China, I believe this holds true in all essential areas. The UK, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, and Israel are also far ahead, though it varies across different parameters. Summarized by larger regions, it’s the northern parts of the Americas and Southeast Asia that lead. The EU lost more than half of its AI capacity with Brexit and now faces an uphill battle.
You work as an AI advisor and educator to politicians and leaders of large organizations and companies. What do you see as the most important knowledge for politicians and leaders regarding AI?
Politicians primarily need to understand the power of AI as a tool to implement a political agenda. This could be in welfare, energy, security, climate, and much more. When politicians believe AI is something technical, the administrative leadership in agencies, regions, and municipalities often limits AI to efficiency improvements and continuous refinements – focusing inwardly. An exception is, of course, medical research. In the private sector, it’s more varied. Large export companies have generally understood for several years the power of AI in developing business operations. At the same time, there are boards that have yet to grasp AI’s disruptive power in their industry. Similarly, in the public sector, this often results in the operational management limiting AI use to efficiency improvements. As a result, they risk competitors incorporating AI into services or products, or even worse, new players using AI for new business models. For politicians, it’s about AI as a political tool, and for companies, it’s about AI as a business tool.
What would you say are the biggest differences between AI and regular digitalization?
Digitalization deals with well-defined problems in a structured world. You know in advance how the processes look; input, algorithm, and output. This applies to, for example, payroll software in an HR department. When reality isn’t as orderly—which it rarely is—especially when dealing with people, digitalization typically requires humans to adapt to the machine: "Press 4 for a mortgage." With AI, you can work more broadly and on human terms. This means that many AI applications can be based on interaction with, for example, customers or citizens rather than well-defined internal processes. One of the most common mistakes is therefore treating AI as a subset of digitalization, which is unfortunately particularly common in Sweden.
What advice would you give to today’s youth considering the development of AI?
I think of Kevin Kelly, who said a few years ago that the next 10,000 companies will all be X+AI. That is, they will focus on various X’s, such as a product in HR or a service in elderly care, and then combine it with AI to create something unique. He has been mostly correct. Perhaps young people can think similarly: X+AI, where X is my interest or what I want to deepen my knowledge in. It could be economics, law, sports psychology, or anything else. But combine it with AI. Sweden has a significant shortage of such individuals, possibly with the exception of areas where X is technology or natural sciences. Unfortunately, in Sweden, AI has been positioned as something technical in the education system, meaning there are limited programs in non-technical fields offering AI elements.
Note! The content on this blog reflects my personal opinions and does not represent my employer. As the publisher, I am not responsible for the comments section. Each commenter is responsible for their own posts.