During the debate on ‘Emerging and Future Technologies’ (30 January 2025) with the Committee Digital Affairs, Zsolt Szabó, Minister for Digitalisation and Kingdom Relations, provided an update on the situation regarding AI and quantum computing. He also made several significant pledges.
This was the first debate on this topic in the House of Representatives. Describing how digitalisation is playing an ever greater role in society, Szabó explained that the rapid development of new digital technologies could have immediate and significant impacts on our day-to-day lives, relationships and work. He illustrated his point with the example of generative AI, in particular the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 and the recent release of China’s AI model DeepSeek. In terms of quantum technology, Szabó cited Willow: Google’s new quantum chip that radically accelerates concrete applications of the technology. These developments, while disruptive, open up fresh opportunities for the Netherlands.
"The tech industry is developing new technologies that are and will be gamechangers for companies, organisations, citizens and government. I’m not just talking about AI, which most people are now familiar with, but also emerging technologies that are lesser known but which may play a key role in the future. One of those is neurotechnology, which will soon feature in a report by the Rathenau Instituut", said Szabó to the members of the Committee Digital Affairs of the House of Representatives.
Dutch Digitalisation Strategy
Szabó is tasked with coordinating developments in new digital technologies at national level. The debate primarily focused on new outcomes in AI and quantum technology, the latter being a priority in the Dutch Digitalisation Strategy (expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives in April). "I want the government to show unity and be an example in responsible uses of AI, focusing on opportunities, including scaling-up potential, as well as safeguarding public interests and modernising our public services. It must also be possible for Dutch businesses, researchers and government institutions to access the computing power of supercomputers, knowledge and data via AI factories."
EU’s AI innovation package
On 24 January, the European Commission launched its AI innovation package, emphasising the essential contribution of European AI factories to opening up access to computing power, data and expertise for businesses and researchers in Europe. ‘I’m thrilled to see Europe follow suit and invest in AI. I’m also happy to be working closely with our partners in France, Finland and other countries,’ says Szabó.
The Ministries of Education, Culture and Science, Economic Affairs, and Interior and Kingdom Relations are currently exploring the options for an AI factory in the Netherlands. The House of Representatives has voted in favour of a motion to this effect, submitted by Barbara Kathmann (GroenLinks/PvdA).
Dutch supercomputer
Szabó believes this calls for a Netherlands-based supercomputer with the required computing power for AI models. He is in talks on this issue with the Minister of Economic Affairs. "In my view, that supercomputer shouldn’t only benefit business, but also the government. We could integrate AI apps into almost all government processes to make public services more efficient, accessible and user-friendly."
AI can be used to streamline citizen-government interactions on the one hand, such as via AI chatbots and virtual assistants, while offering personalised public services on the other. "The government possesses and processes huge amounts of citizen data. We can use AI to analyse this data to better understand individual needs and offer personalised solutions", says Szabó.
Lastly, AI can help government bodies to work more efficiently by automating tasks and accelerating processes, which in turn saves costs and improves resource allocation. "Basically, AI usage in public services not only has the potential to help us to work more efficiently as a government, but also to develop a more human-centric and inclusive approach that puts citizens, business owners and companies first."
The other spearhead: quantum technology
Szabó believes that quantum technology has the potential to fundamentally change the industry and government. "Quantum technology already has various potential applications. We’re still waiting for a big breakthrough, however, and I can’t possibly predict when those breakthroughs could also have an impact on public services. It could happen tomorrow, or equally in five, ten or even twenty years. Personally, looking at current developments like Willow, I don’t think it’ll take that long."
Szabó says it is important to prepare for both the risks and opportunities of quantum technology, as is already being done in the programme ‘Quantum-Safe Cryptography for the Netherlands’.
Future quantum computers could potentially break today’s encryption standards. If they fall into the wrong hands, our national security could be at stake. That’s why we must migrate to post-quantum cryptography. We’re already taking action in the ‘Quantum-Safe Cryptography for the Netherlands’ programme. It’s a complex subject, however, and we’ll only really know how to respond properly at a later stage. Quantum technology has been added to the list of priorities in the Dutch Digitalisation Strategy.
Agreements reached:
- During the debate, member of the House of Representatives Jesse Six Dijkstra (NSC) announced his intention to request a ‘two-minute debate’, in which each political party is given two minutes to speak, and possibly submit motions for a national policy to run generative AI locally rather than on the cloud.
- Member of the House of Representatives Harmen Krul (CDA) is considering submitting a motion to gain greater insight into the relationships between government bodies and businesses connected to Elon Musk. Szabó stated that no such list of companies had been compiled to date; Krul believes this is necessary in view of the potential security risks.
- Szabó also pledged to inform the House of Representatives of the outcomes of talks that he will hold with the Minister of Economic Affairs regarding the implications of emerging and future technologies, such as DeepSeek, on current digitalisation and technology policy.
- Szabó will also provide the House of Representatives with a progress update of the 54 labs researching various broader societal issues within the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI). This update will also touch on the Center’s funding now that financial flows have dried up.
- Szabó also pledged to provide an update – which may be confidential or public – to the House of Representatives before summer 2025 regarding the possibility of benchmark research into the Netherlands’ use of high-assurance technologies to protect its most sensitive data, such as state secrets, in relation to other countries’ use. Jesse Six Dijkstra (NSC) had submitted a request to this effect.
- The government’s reviewed stance on its use of generative AI, detailing the latest developments (including the implications of the launch of DeepSeek), is expected to be shared with the House of Representatives at the end of Q1 2025.
- Lastly, Szabó expects to be able to soon provide an update on the implications of the Competitiveness Compass, published yesterday by the European Commission, in particular regarding its digital initiatives.
Topsector ICT’s two Action Agendas
The Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Digitalisation is currently overseeing the development of two Action Agendas: one for AI/Data and one for Cybersecurity Technologies. Both are digital and information technologies within the Dutch National Technology Strategy (NTS) and fall under the responsibility of Topsector ICT.
Quantum, another key enabling technology, formally falls under the digital and information technologies of the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) , which is overseen by Topsector High Tech Systems & Materials. Quantum technology is a ‘hybrid’ technology involving a range of IT challenges, such as sensing, communication and computing. It therefore also influences various key technologies assigned to Topsector ICT, including the digital key enabling technology Cybersecurity Technologies.