Technology does not wait for politics. But the consequences of technology will have to be managed by politics -- whether it wants to or not.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the Swiss economy faster than laws can be written. The model calculation in this wiki shows: by 2050, a fiscal gap of 75 to 116 billion francs per year looms, up to two million jobs could be displaced by automation, and the OASI system -- built on wage contributions -- is losing its funding base [1].
The EU AI Act (Regulation EU 2024/1689), in force since August 2024, is a first regulatory framework: risk-based classification, labelling requirements, fines of up to 35 million euros [2]. Switzerland is not an EU member, but is deeply interconnected economically. Swiss companies must comply with the AI Act without having participated in its design [3]. The Swiss Parliament will need to develop its own framework -- one that takes into account direct democracy, cantonal autonomy and research freedom.
| No. | Demand | Core |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algorithmic Transparency | AI systems in the public information space must disclose their criteria. State interference with algorithms to be constitutionally prohibited. |
| 2 | Ban on AI Mass Surveillance | Ban biometric real-time surveillance in the Federal Constitution -- without exceptions. Court order required for any biometric surveillance. |
| No. | Demand | Core |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Citizens' Dividend from an AI Citizens' Fund | Popular initiative for a citizens' dividend. AI value creation levy. Three-phase transition (2028/2035/2045) to replace OASI. |
| No. | Demand | Core |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Data Ownership | Personal data belongs to the individual -- legally, not just morally. Sale without consent to be a criminal offence. |
| 5 | AI Education | AI literacy mandatory from secondary school. ETH and EPFL as national competence centres for AI education. |
| No. | Demand | Core |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Ban on Autonomous Weapons | International moratorium. Geneva as the natural venue for negotiations. |
| 7 | International AGI Control | Supervisory authority modelled on the IAEA. No AGI without democratic legitimacy. |
| No. | Demand | Core |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Protect Innovation | Proportional requirements for SMEs. Regulatory sandboxes. A leaner approach than the EU. |
| 9 | Make Switzerland a Global AI Leader | National AI competence centre with CHF 500 million. ETH+EPFL+IDSIA+industry. Accelerated permits for AI talent. |
KOF ETH Zurich has already measured the effect: in the first eight months after the launch of ChatGPT, job postings for programmers fell by 20 per cent [4]. Avenir Suisse puts the number of office workers in direct competition with AI at 490,000 [5]. OASI currently pays out around 50 billion francs per year -- financed by wage contributions that are eroding as the baby boomers retire [1].
Nine demands. None of them is radical. Every single one is feasible. Together they form the minimum of what policymakers must deliver so that Switzerland does not merely endure the AI revolution but shapes it.
[1] FSO, Population Scenarios 2023--2055; McKinsey Global Institute, A Future That Works, 2017; SECO labour market statistics.
[2] EU AI Act, Regulation EU 2024/1689, in force since 1 August 2024.
[3] AlgorithmWatch, A Guide to the New EU AI Regulation.
[4] KOF ETH Zurich, Labour market effects of generative AI, 2023.
[5] Avenir Suisse, Analyses on the automation of the Swiss labour market.