Cabinet sets out AI plan, seeks partners beyond US and China

The cabinet is establishing a vision of how to integrate AI into Dutch society so as to take advantage of its benefits, control reliance on foreign powers and strengthen national security.

Digital economy minister Willemijn Aerdts released 28-page vision letter to parliament on Friday, acknowledging that AI will “largely determine our future”.

“We want a Netherlands where AI makes everyone better and helps us move forward. Where a nurse has more time for patients, entrepreneurs can grow, and technology helps us with the major challenges of our time,” she said.

“That requires choices. Where do we want to lead the way and where do we draw the line? We don’t have to be able to do everything ourselves, but we do want to decide for ourselves which direction we take.”

The vision names Canada, Japan, Singapore and South Korea as “middle powers” the Netherlands wants to work with, alongside other EU member states.

It also says the Netherlands will keep working on “stable and predictable relations” with the US and China. The letter notes that the Netherlands has joined Pax Silica, a US-led partnership on chips, computing power and AI infrastructure.

The only funding figure in the vision is €120 million for Dutch participation in an EU-wide AI project, which was already set aside in September. The letter says more “targeted and structural investment” is needed in infrastructure, talent and research, but gives no amounts.

“This is a toothless tiger,” Volt leader Laurens Dassen told broadcaster NOS. “AI should be a top priority. It isn’t if there is no budget.”

Plans for computing power and datacentres, which use large amounts of electricity and water, will follow in the first quarter of 2027.

The cabinet is also exploring whether to set up a Dutch AI safety institute modelled on the UK’s AI Security Institute. An advisory report is due in December.

Aerdts and the education minister plan to agree a “media pact” with public and private media organisations, which will also cover how AI systems use journalistic content. No details on that have been given yet.