By Peter Witten and Kathrine Hennings, AAU Communikation and Public Affairs
Photo: Kathrine Hennings

On Friday, May 9, CAISA – a new national AI research center – officially opened. Its mission is to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of society.

Aalborg University and the University of Copenhagen play leading roles in the center, which also includes researchers from Aarhus University, DTU, and the IT University of Copenhagen.

CAISA will collaborate with businesses, authorities, organizations, and researchers both nationally and internationally.

Understanding technology

The opening ceremony took place Friday afternoon in the grand ceremonial hall at the University of Copenhagen. Among the speakers were AAU-president and vice-chancellor Per Michael Johansen and David Dreyer Lassen, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Copenhagen.

Per Michael Johansen emphasized that CAISA is about taking knowledge seriously and acting on it. It is a center not only focused on understanding the technology but also on understanding what it means for people and society, he stated.

“When schools, municipalities, companies, and authorities adopt AI, they need someone to help find the balance between benefits and risks. That’s why it’s so important that CAISA is built as a collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and institutions,” said the AAU-president.

A strong signal

He pointed out that CAISA sends a strong signal that Denmark wants to take responsibility for how artificial intelligence is used in a thoughtful and deliberate way—not just domestically, but in cooperation with the rest of the world.

Professor Thomas B. Moeslund from Aalborg University is the deputy director of the new AI research center. He says about CAISA:

“We work across disciplines because it’s not enough to understand the technical aspects or to study the human and societal implications. We need to do both at the same time.”

Associate Professor Roman Jurowetzki from Aalborg University Business School is also among CAISA’s lead researchers.

Nik & Jay

Two ministers attended the opening of CAISA: Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund and Minister for Digitalization Caroline Stage Olsen. The latter even quoted the pop duo Nik & Jay, saying: “If you can think it, you can do it. If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Christina Egelund emphasized that artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in a geopolitical context and is essential for Europe’s competitiveness. “It is vital that we take the lead and don’t let China and the U.S. run off with all the good ideas,” she said.

Sky-high ambitions

CAISA’s ambitions are sky-high - not just for Denmark, but for Europe. The center is launching long-term research projects exploring new paths to digital sovereignty and responsible AI for the benefit of society as a whole.

“If we succeed, Denmark can not only ensure a better rollout of artificial intelligence at home but also inspire the rest of the world to follow a wiser path,” says Professor Rebecca Adler-Nissen from the University of Copenhagen, director of CAISA.