New AI Impact Barometer: Upskilling Is the Key to AI Success in Danish Workplaces

AI is already widely adopted in Denmark. A total of 65% of companies and organisations now work with AI in some form, and 33% of all employees use the technology in their daily work. These findings come from the new AI Impact Barometer, the first comprehensive national measurement of how AI affects Danish workplaces across multiple bottom lines.

However, the Barometer also shows that the foundation for genuine value creation is lacking: 55% of Danish workplaces do not have a strategic direction for AI. At the same time, maturity levels vary significantly. Nearly one in three organisations has reached a stage where AI is used regularly or systematically, while the rest are primarily experimenting – or not yet started.

“The Barometer clearly shows that when employees receive the right competencies, AI enhances professional quality, improves well-being and strengthens results. Danish employees are eager to learn. It is the organisational anchoring that is falling behind,” says Mette Beck-Nielsen, CEO of Digital Dogme.

Upskilling benefits multiple bottom lines

The analysis shows that employees who receive training achieve significantly stronger outcomes than those working with AI without training. 65% of employees who use AI report that they complete tasks faster and more easily, and 37% experience increased job satisfaction. At the same time, the Barometer reveals that 63% of employees without training want to be better equipped.

“Value emerges when employees’ professional expertise meets the technology. When employees are given a safe environment and opportunities to develop, it strengthens quality, collaboration and job satisfaction. With the right conditions, employees can use and innovate with AI in ways that improve everyday work and deliver strong results,” says Mads Samsing, President of HK Denmark.

The positive effect is strongest among those who receive practice-oriented training integrated into their regular work. Here, 71% report a clear strengthening of their professional development, compared to only 39% among those without training.

This supports a broader trend: AI is no longer just a tool for efficiency. Increasingly, it acts as a quality tool, improving decision-making, strengthening professional standards and enhancing collaboration. The effect is most pronounced in organisations with high AI maturity, where the technology is implemented systematically and competence development is part of daily operations.

Upskilling remains too narrow – and strategic and ethical learning is missing

Most upskilling initiatives today focus on technical skills.

40% have been trained to select and use AI tools

32% have trained in applying AI within their professional domain

28% have trained to improve workflows

These efforts deliver quick wins, but the analysis shows major gaps: Only 16% receive training in ethics, data security and bias, and just 7% receive training in planning and implementing AI solutions. This creates a gap between technical use and strategic, responsible application – especially in organisations with low maturity, where lack of direction and insufficient learning opportunities are the main barriers to progress.

The Barometer also highlights significant differences between sectors. Industries with high digital maturity—such as information, communications and finance—experience far greater value creation, while less mature sectors use AI less frequently and see fewer benefits. This points to a major national opportunity: broadening competence development so more sectors can realise AI’s potential.

FACTS ABOUT THE AI IMPACT BAROMETER

How the Barometer was developed The AI Impact Barometer was prepared by HBS Economics and is based on two nationwide surveys with a total of 3,030 respondents from the Danish labour market: 2,022 employees and 1,008 leaders and employers, collected via Norstat’s panel.

The results are weighted to reflect the actual distribution of industries, regions and organisation sizes in Denmark. Sole proprietorships are not included in the weighting.

AI maturity was measured using a five-level model, where respondents assessed their organisation’s stage – from no AI use to developing their own solutions.

The Barometer examines not only economic effects but also well-being, quality, collaboration, learning and organisational conditions. This makes it the first broad, data-driven assessment of how AI affects Danish workplaces across multiple bottom lines.