Artificial intelligence is a key technology that has the potential to fundamentally change all areas of life, including the Federal Administration. The use of AI is therefore an integral component of digital transformation. The Federal Council is promoting the adoption of AI within the Federal Administration and fostering trust in its use through a dedicated AI competence network.
The Competence Network for Artificial Intelligence is jointly supported by the Federal Chancellery and several federal offices, namely the Federal Statistical Office, the Federal Office of Personnel, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics, the State Secretariat for Security Policy, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Federal Office of Communications, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs as well as Federal Administration service providers. The Federal Chancellery has also maintained a contact point for the Federal Administration since 1 February 2026.
The Competence Network for Artificial Intelligence and contact point are tasked with coordinating AI-related issues within the Federal Administration, fostering cross-departmental networking, supporting specific AI projects and innovations, and promoting synergies. The contact point brings together interdisciplinary expertise and provides practical information, connecting existing AI initiatives from administrative bodies and promoting dialogue with other contact points, in particular the Swiss Data Ecosystem Contact Point.
The best way to get in touch with the contact point is by email: ai@bk.admin.ch
AI system
An AI system is a machine-based system that uses the input it receives to infer explicit or implicit goals and generate output such as predictions, content, recommendations or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. AI systems can be equipped with varying degrees of autonomy. This includes everything from chatbots for enquiries from the public and decision-making support for requests to predictive models for traffic and deployment planning.
How does the network work?
The network consists of a central contact point and centres of expertise. Issues relating to AI within the Federal Administration are fed into the competence network by the administrative departments and collected and triaged by the contact point. From there, the issues are forwarded to the relevant competence centres within the network, consisting of representatives from the respective administrative bodies. The resulting knowledge and solutions developed are shared and fed back into the organisation as a whole.
The contact point has the following tasks:
- Responding to and forwarding internal and external enquiries regarding the use of AI within the Federal Administration to the relevant competence centre
- Managing the network, coordinating and facilitating information exchange between the competence centres and, where applicable, their specialist communities of practice (CoPs)
- Maintaining and developing the project database
- Providing information and documentation and establishing an internal federal community focused on the use of AI systems within the Federal Administration
- Developing and providing tools, guidelines and information sheets on the use of AI systems within the Federal Administration in cooperation with the relevant competence centres
- Referring internal experts and providing easy access to an initial consultation (facilitating the exchange of specialist knowledge in the field of AI)
- Reporting on the network's activities and organising joint events and forums for exchange.
The aim of the Competence Network is to provide a central point of contact for questions about AI and facilitate exchange on the development, promotion and use of AI within the Federal Administration. The goal is to better coordinate AI within the Federal Administration. This is not an end in itself, but rather a means of harnessing the potential of AI and developing employee skills to ensure that it is used efficiently, innovatively and securely.
Project database
The Competence Network for Artificial Intelligence maintains a list of AI-relevant projects in the Federal Administration. The aim of this is to create an overview of topics and methods and to facilitate the sharing of experiences, as well as creating transparency about the AI projects currently underway within the Federal Administration.
Guidelines and factsheets
Terminology
Further information
