In a new and ambitious attempt to secure Danes’ data and strengthen national technological sovereignty, a consortium led by the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv) is now developing a Danish version of the popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT. This initiative comes as a direct response to concerns about data security and transparency in the current models, which are primarily developed and controlled by American tech giants. Thomas Moeslund, a professor of AI at Aalborg University, emphasizes the importance of the project: “If we want to have more control over the security of data, then we need to have control over the data we input into the models.” He adds that a Danish language model will not only increase data security but also serve as an important building block in many Danish industries.
The consortium behind the project includes both private and public actors such as Falck, Norlys, Salling Group, Topdanmark, and Aarhus Municipality, demonstrating broad industrial and societal support. These partners will participate in training and adapting the Danish language model to meet specific national needs and standards. The project is still in its early stages, and it is uncertain how it will develop. However, Moeslund is optimistic and sees this as a unique opportunity for Denmark: “It’s great that we are now starting to experiment more with this in Denmark. This way, we can gain more knowledge and have a more qualified discussion.”
A tailored Danish language model could potentially strengthen interaction between citizens and the public sector, as well as increase efficiency and security in these digital services. Over time, it is hoped that the initiative will lead to a more secure and reliable technological infrastructure in Denmark.