The Danish government have today appointed an expert group on data ethics. One of the group’s tasks will be to look into whether Danish companies can make responsible data use a competitive advantage. This is work is part of the government's strategy for Denmark's digital growth.
Minister of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Brian Mikkelsen:
"Danish companies are known to act socially and environmentally responsibly and have been successful in making this accountability a competitive advantage. In my opinion, we must also make responsible data use a competitive advantage. I have gathered a strong team of experts who will draw up data ethical recommendations. "
The role of the expert group is to develop a draft of recommendations or other actions that could strengthen responsible use of data by companies'. The draft will be presented and discussed at the final meeting of the government’s Disruption Council, after which the recommendations will be handed to the government. The chairman of the new expert group will be Christiane Vejlø, member of the Disruption Council, who has a past with senior positions in the telecommunications industry and now is active as a digital entrepreneur.
Christiane Vejlø, Chair of the Expert Group on Data Ethics:
"It's a really exciting and important initiative that the government has taken. Data ethics are crucial if we are to benefit from the opportunities that arise from artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc. while acting as a digitally responsible society. I look forward to the discussions on data ethics in the Council and hope to get some strong input for the work that I, and the rest of the expert group, are going to initiate now. "
The Expert Group on Data Ethics has the following members:
Christiane Vejlø (Chairman)
Christiane Vejlø holds a Master's degree in Media Studies and a bachelor's degree in Religion. She has been appointed chair of the group because of her daily work as an entrepreneur and advisor focuses on technological development and the relationship between technology and people in the future.
Gregers Wedell Wedellsborg
Gregers Wedell Wedellsborg has extensive experience from his work as director of Matas and Coop, both major Danish companies, who work actively and consciously with customer data. Gregers is also a member of the Disruption Council.
Pernille Erenbjerg
Pernille Erenbjerg contributes to the work as CEO of TDC, which, as one of Denmark's major telecommunications and technology companies, works with data and focuses heavily on corporate social responsibility. Pernille is also a member of the Disruption Council.
Erik David Johnson
Erik David Johnson holds a Master's degree in IT and a bachelor in English and Philosophy, is a researcher and works with artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning. He is the head of Netcompany A/S's Knowledge Center for Cognitive Computing and also contributes with experience from his work in the SIRI Commission.
Steen Rasmussen
Steen Rasmussen is a professor in physics with a research focus on the development of living and intelligent technologies. Steen is a member of the Danish think tank Data Ethics Advisory Board. He has also served as a consultant and expert on scientific and technological issues for the European Commission and the Danish Parliament.
Thomas Madsen-Mygdal
Thomas Madsen-Mygdal is co-founder and CEO of Twentythree. He is one of the initiators of the Copenhagen Tech Festival, held in 2017, and co-authored The Copenhagen Letter, which calls for better practice in the design of technology in a way so humans are put ahead of business.
Thomas Damkjær Petersen
Thomas Damkjær Petersen is chair of the Association of Engineers, IDA, and co-founder of the SIRI Commission, for which he is also chairman. The SIRI Commission deals with digital disruption, artificial intelligence and ethical aspects in this regard.
Gry Hasselbalch
Gry Hasselbalch is a researcher and co-founder of the think tank DataEthics. She is an expert in the field of data ethics and an independent adviser for companies and organizations. She is co-author of the book "Data ethics - the new competitive advantage", which is an analysis of trends in companies' work on constructive data ethical solutions.
Henrik Iskov Christensen
Henrik Iskov Christensen is a Professor and Director of the Institute of Contextual Robotics, UC San Diego. He studies, among other things, system integration and interaction between humans and robots and has great knowledge on artificial intelligence. He has previously served as a scientific advisor to Barack Obama.
Mikkel Holm Sørensen
Mikkel Holm Sørensen has a Ph.D. in IT-design and is the author of the book "Data - the company's new raw material". He is the CEO of the consultancy firm /KL.7 and is specialized in, among other things, behavioral design, data strategies and data based business development.
Morten Primdahl
Morten Primdahl is co-founder of the company Zendesk, which is one of the Danish start-up companies that has been successful in Silicon Valley. Zendesk has among other things focus on user needs in developing technical solutions. Morten Primdahl has both technical and international insight into the field.
Alice Borgen
Alice Kirstine Borgen is employed by IBM, where she works with AI and Watson. With a background in Psychology, she focuses on man in the development of new technological solutions. She also has experience with artificial intelligence. In addition, she has been honored in Berlingske 2017 Talent for Management.