Only one in ten employees receive formal AI training at work, survey finds
A new nationwide survey by Copenhagen Business School (CBS) reveals that while roughly one in three Danish employees use artificial intelligence in their jobs, only one in ten have received formal training in AI tools—a gap that unions, business groups, and researchers warn could lead to errors, security risks, and lost competitiveness.
The representative study, conducted among employees across sectors, found that most workers rely on informal learning—such as experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, watching online tutorials, or picking up tips from colleagues—rather than structured education. Experts call the lack of systematic training “deeply insufficient.”
“It’s alarming,” said Mads Samsing, president of HK Danmark, a union representing 158,000 office, retail, and IT workers. “AI will transform businesses, the labor market, and society. We urgently need to shift into a much higher gear on upskilling.”
According to the CBS survey, AI is primarily used for writing texts and emails, technical support, data analysis, Excel formulas, and image editing. A separate study by Dansk Erhverv (the Confederation of Danish Industry) found that tools like ChatGPT and AI-generated media are now common in workplaces.
Risks of improper use
Per Østergaard Jacobsen, external lecturer at CBS and co-author of the study, warned that without proper training, employees may fail to harness AI’s full potential—or worse, create security vulnerabilities.
“If you don’t understand how to use these tools correctly, you won’t get the full benefit,” he said. “Mistakes can happen, like accidentally sharing sensitive data with AI systems that aren’t approved for it. Employees might also find it frustrating if they’re using the tools wrong and missing out on ways to improve their work.”
Kasper Lynge Jacobsen, AI chief analyst at Dansk Erhverv, called the findings “troubling,” emphasizing that poor AI adoption could erode Denmark’s competitive edge. “We risk using AI inefficiently, while competitors solve the same tasks faster,” he said.
While a recent Digitaliseringsministeriet (Ministry of Digitalisation) report ranked Danish companies among the EU’s most digitized, Jacobsen argued that usage alone doesn’t equate to value. “The question is whether AI is actually creating benefits—not just being used,” he said.
At Legeakademiet, a Hørsholm-based online toy retailer, only communications director Kristina Hobbs has attended a formal AI course. She told DR the lack of training hasn’t been an issue for her team, which uses AI to translate promotional videos for foreign markets.
The ministry was unavailable for comment due to the ongoing government formation process.
Source: DR