Foreign Ministry introduces AI service for processing classified information

Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has introduced its AI Assistant UMAI to an initial group of pilot users. The service enables the use of artificial intelligence to process information at national security classification level IV in a secure environment. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Government ICT Centre Valtori are acting as pilot organisations in the development of a common secure AI platform for central government.

The AI Assistant UMAI introduced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has been deployed in a secure environment designed for processing information at national security classification level IV. This solution aims to support experts’ work in a controlled manner while taking security considerations into account and to get experience of using AI in the demanding operating environments of public authorities. The solution will be further developed based on the experience gained and user needs identified during the pilot project.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is acting as a pilot organisation in the development of a common secure AI platform for central government. Lessons learned from the pilot can be used to develop shared AI solutions for central government and to promote the introduction of secure AI more widely across public administration.

“In the age of AI, Europe must retain its ability to make its own choices and build sufficient capacity, competitiveness and capability to control critical technologies. Europe must have adequate understanding, competence and functional capacity to assess and utilise AI on European terms. The Foreign Ministry’s AI Assistant UMAI is a concrete example of how these objectives are being put into practice in central government in Finland,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

The solution demonstrates how public authorities can retain control over data processing, technological solutions and practices in the use of AI. At the same time, the pilot project will strengthen national AI competence and support European objectives to enhance digital sovereignty, strategic competitiveness and AI capabilities.