Denmark establishes defence AI centre to lead global military applications

Denmark’s defence forces will establish a dedicated artificial intelligence centre, aiming to position the country as a world leader in military AI applications, state broadcaster DR reports.

The centre’s acting director, Paul Østergaard, said Denmark—already one of the world’s most digitised societies—has the potential to lead globally in both civilian and military AI use.

Rather than focusing solely on autonomous weapons, the centre will explore AI’s broader military uses, including operational planning and processing the vast data streams generated on modern battlefields.

Its creation marks a departure from tradition: Østergaard, a tech entrepreneur with a background in private-sector AI development, is an unconventional choice to lead the centre. Andreas Graae, a research leader at the Danish Defence Academy’s Institute for Military Technology, called the appointment exciting, noting that Østergaard’s entrepreneurial experience could accelerate the defence sector’s technological progress.

To meet its ambitions, the centre will collaborate extensively with civilian partners—universities, research institutions, and private companies—at a level beyond past practice. Østergaard said the pace of AI development makes it impossible for any single organisation to keep up alone.

The centre has already secured access to Gefion, one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, and will prioritise domestic resources, including what Østergaard described as some of the world’s best software providers. The goal is to reduce reliance on external suppliers and build more capabilities independently.

Currently hiring, the centre expects to employ around 30 staff by the end of the year. Yet its long-term plan is to dissolve itself: once AI is fully integrated into defence operations, Østergaard said, it will become as routine as the internet, rendering a separate centre unnecessary within a decade.