Is Swiss AI A Powerhouse For Democracy?

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) United States cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier has high hopes for a Swiss artificial intelligence (AI) model, as other experts express optimism that AI can become an integral part of democratic institutions. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Is Swiss AI a powerhouse for democracy? This content was published on March 2, 2026 - 09:00 9 minutes

As a reporter I cover developments in democracy where the Swiss perspective becomes relevant. I am Swiss and have long been fascinated by the way public discussions shape society.

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“Is anyone here from Switzerland?” Bruce Schneier called out to the audience at the World Forum for DemocracyExternal link in Strasbourg, where the US cybersecurity expert was speaking last November. No answer came back to him.

During his talk on AI and democracy, the lecturer from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University made repeated references to Switzerland and the notion of an assisted democracy, which originated at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich. Above all, he praised Apertus, the language model developed by the Federal Institute of Technology (EFPL) and ETH Zurich.

The Swiss AI model, he said, shows that artificial intelligence can benefit public welfare“without economic interests and stolen data”.

“I think we do have a lot of problems with democracy. They're not problems caused by AI. They're often problems exacerbated by AI,” Schneier said during a Signal call in January.“The question is: are there ways we can use it for more democracy? I think the answer is yes, but we need to do it.”

In an article published in Time MagazineExternal link, Schneier compares AI to the railroads of the 19^th century. At the time, new rail routes in the US had the potential to“connect the disconnected” and equalise access to power. Instead they created unprecedented wealth among a few people.

“Railways are like AI today – we all use it for something else. This is the reason why Apertus is powerful,” Schneier explained.“It is a platform that anybody can build on.” This is a prime example that technology can exist without corporate giants.“Can we get AI models that are not built by a bunch of white male tech billionaires and Silicon Valley on the profit motive?” Schneier asked rhetorically. A tiny country has shown how it can be done.“Costs are dropping, and we will see more of these models,” he said. Individual language models will become“largely interchangeable”, he added. The expert believes many users will turn to open models like Apertus or Sea LionExternal link, developed in Singapore.

Read our article where we explain the facts and myths surrounding Apertus:

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