Distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends,

The rapid development of AI challenges us in many ways, but also presents opportunities for Indigenous peoples. For instance, in areas where we lack human resources with language expertise, AI can serve as a vital tool to make our languages accessible, allowing us to develop resources that support our communities.

But this requires that Indigenous peoples are central to this development, so we are not left behind. It requires that our languages, our knowledge, and our needs are included in this development. This is essential to ensure that technology does not become yet another barrier for Indigenous peoples.

Active participation also requires adequate resources. Therefore, capacity building and supporting Indigenous-led centers of expertise such as the Sami AI Lab, is of the utmost importance. The Sami AI Lab is created by and for the Sámi people, organized under the Sámi University of Applied Sciences, an Indigenous-led educational institution.

The Norwegian government has launched a national AI initiative. For the Sámi Parliament, it is crucial that Sámi peoples, our languages, and our expertise are included in this. National efforts must strengthen the participation of Indigenous Peoples. This is how we ensure that AI also benefits us, by setting the agenda and highlighting our own needs.

Side events like this are vital for networking, sharing experiences, and drafting our common goals. We must ensure there are arenas where Indigenous experts can collaborate and lead in this field. 

It is also about Data Sovereignty - our right to our own data and to decide how our information and cultural heritage are used. We must also ensure the data AI is built upon is accurate, so that Indigenous peoples are represented correctly and not through racism, stereotypes, or further marginalization.

Furthermore, we must discuss the purpose of this technology. AI is resource-intensive and requires vast amounts of energy. This forces a conversation about priorities. 

We must ensure that these energy demands do not increase the pressure on Indigenous lands, as we already see with the construction of data centers and infrastructure.

To conclude: sharing experiences and securing our participation in decision-making is essential. I look forward to a discussion that inspires further collaboration. 

Thank you.