Putting people at the center of AI competencies

EK – Copenhagen Business Academy participates in the AI Competence Pact to ensure that the development and implementation of artificial intelligence is centered around people — not technology. We aim to promote responsible digital progress where AI supports professionalism, quality, and job satisfaction — especially among employees in companies affiliated with EK.

“We see AI as a support, not a replacement,” says Morten Boesen, Associate Professor at EK. “That’s why we focus on how to promote responsible AI competencies that strengthen employees’ roles and give them the ability to understand and shape the technologies — not just adapt to them.”

With the research project AI in Action (AiA) as a framework, EK works to make AI a genuine collaborative partner in the workplace. We believe AI only creates value when used thoughtfully and with respect for professional work.

Competencies that make a practical difference

EK’s approach to AI competence development is grounded in practice. Instead of general courses, we offer experimental programs where employees at EK’s affiliated companies explore and test how AI can be concretely applied in their own workflows and fields of expertise.

In the AiA project, we develop programs where AI competencies arise through close interaction with employees’ domain expertise. We engage in feedback sessions, practice-oriented reflection, and value-based discussions about the technology’s impact on the profession, tasks, and collaboration.

This approach aligns with Article 4 of the AI Act, which requires companies to ensure that employees have the necessary AI skills to use the technology responsibly and meaningfully in practice. This means competence development is not just about technology but also about understanding AI’s implications and areas of application. AI systems must not only be technically safe — they must be used by employees who have the knowledge, judgment, and agency to take responsibility, ask questions, and influence the technology in their own work lives.

EK’s approach is inspired by both European and international frameworks for responsible AI, including the EU’s guidelines for trustworthy AI, the OECD AI principles, and — not least — the competence requirements that the AI Act now obligates all of us to take seriously.