CAISA Deputy Head of Centre Thomas Moeslund appointed to the Danish Data Ethics Counsil
CAISA is proud to announce that our Deputy Director, Thomas Moeslund, has been appointed as a new member of the Danish Data Ethics Council. The appointment reflects his longstanding contributions to research in artificial intelligence and computer vision, as well as his strong commitment to resonsible AI and ethical technology development.
As a professor at Aalborg University and an internationally recognised researcher, Thomas has worked extensively on the intersection between advanced algorithmic methods and their societal implications. His research spans from foundational methodological development to applied AI solutions, with a focus on transparency, fairness, autonomy, and long-term impact.
Data ethics as the foundation for responsible AI
At a time when developments in artificial intelligence are advancing faster than both regulation and society’s shared understanding, the need for strong data ethics and responsible AI governanceis becoming increasingly urgent. Manipulated content, automated decision-making, and new applications of generative AI are creating significant challenges for citizens, businesses, and policymakers alike.
Thomas Moeslund highlights the importance of a robust ethical foundation:
“Data ethics, for me, is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the research, development and implementation of technology.” (Translated)
His perspective emphasizes that responsible AI cannot be separated from technical development, but must be embedded from the outset - from datasets and model design to implementation and real-world use.
The role of the Council in a complex technological landscape
As a member of the Danish Data Ethics Council, Thomas Moeslund will play a key role in addressing the ethical challenges arising from the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). This includes issues related to misinformation, algorithmic bias, and the impact of AI systems on democratic processes and societal structures.
On the Council's role, Thomas explains:
“The Council can act as a bridge between technical experts, policymakers, businesses, and citizens - both by establishing shared ethical standards and proactive solutions before problems escalate, and by communicating these issues to the broader public.” (Translated)
His appointment brings a strong technological and research-based perspective to the Council, helping to ensure a responsible and human-centred development and use of AI in Denmark.
CAISA's perspective
At CAISA, we work to advance human-centred and responsible AI, and the appointment of Thomas Moeslund reflects exactly the type og expertise needed to develop AI solutions that are both technically advanced and ethically robust.
We look forward to contributing to this work through research-based insights and interdeciplinary perspectives from CAISA - and to follow Thomas's important role in shaping Denmark's national data ethics agenda.
Through six interventions from leading European scholars in their field, this research brief examines the challenges of governing AI-generated content in an information environment where such content is rapidly becoming the norm. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, the contributions assess the effectiveness and limitations of emerging AI transparency governance, particularly labelling requirements under the EU AI Act and the forthcoming Code of Practice on marking and labelling of AI-generated content. While transparency labels are normatively important for informing users about content provenance, research suggests that labelling alone is unlikely to mitigate manipulation, restore trust, or empower citizens. The research brief therefore argues for a broader transparency ecosystem that combines labelling with governance infrastructure, organisational accountability, and ongoing research to develop adaptive, evidence-based approaches to AI transparency.
Artificial intelligence has moved to the very center of Danish politics. During the government negotiations at Marienborg in April 2026, the talks were temporarily paused so that senior politicians could attend a seminar on AI and its societal implications.
At the seminar, CAISA Director Rebecca Adler-Nissen, together with Professor Abraham Newman (Georgetown University), contributed research-based perspectives on the role of AI in geopolitics, the economy, and democracy. Their presentation addressed, among other issues, how artificial intelligence affects security, labor markets, education, and Europe’s strategic position.
According to TV2, there was strong interest among the politicians, who actively engaged with questions related to both technological developments and societal consequences. Rebecca Adler-Nissen highlighted the high level of engagement and the growing demand for knowledge about the implications of AI across policy areas.
CAISA’s participation underscores the center’s role in bringing research-based knowledge into political decision-making processes and contributing to the responsible development of AI in society.
This brief is currently only available in Danish.
Summary (Translated)
Digital sovereignty is multidimensional and requires priority
In a time of geopolitical instability and rapid AI development, control over digital infrastructure and data has become critical. While there is broad agreement on the need for action at the national, Nordic, and EU levels, a shared language around digital sovereignty is still lacking. This lack of alignment leads either to inaction or to narrow technical solutions without strategic direction. The core argument of the brief is that digital sovereignty is a multidimensional concept, involving both principled positions and pragmatic choices. Reducing it to technical solutions risks overlooking the values and trade-offs that determine who controls and benefits from these systems. Conversely, focusing solely on values leads to abstract principles without practical implementation or real impact. Digital sovereignty is rarely about choosing between full self-sufficiency and total dependence. Rather, it is about balancing often competing demands for openness, security, competitiveness, growth, values, and rights in a world where capabilities are unevenly distributed. This means that it is necessary to define who or what is to be protected or promoted, within the domains of security, economic growth, or citizens’ rights, and to recognize that choices in one domain may strengthen or undermine another. The brief focuses on AI as the area where digital sovereignty is most acutely at stake, but the concepts apply more broadly to digital infrastructure and data. It provides decision-makers with tools to navigate these dilemmas by presenting:
- A conceptual framework for identifying who or what should be digitally sovereign.
- An overview of how digital sovereignty is prioritized around the world.
- An understanding that sovereignty can be exercised through three control regimes: ownership, expertise, or regulation – but that none of these are sufficient on their own.
The central implication of the brief is that digital sovereignty requires an integrated strategy that combines ownership, expertise, and regulation, while managing the interdependencies and trade-offs between security, economic growth, and citizens’ rights through clear objectives. Without this holistic approach, there is a risk of ineffective regulation, unusable infrastructure, or a lack of capacity to develop, maintain, and apply solutions in practice, potentially undermining security, growth, or rights.
