InterviewNordic ambassadors highlight trust, human-centered values in AI cooperation with Korea

Ambassadors from Nordic countries pose at the Embassy of Finland in Seoul, April 8. From left, Ambassador of Finland Jyri Järviaho, Ambassador of Norway Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, Ambassador of Sweden Karl-Olof Andersson and Ambassador of Denmark Mikael Hemniti Winther. Courtesy of Norweigian Embassy in Korea

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes economies and societies, Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are positioning themselves not only as innovation leaders, but also as proponents of a distinctly human-centered approach to AI.

In a joint interview with The Korea Times ahead of the Nordic+Korea Innovation Days from April 21 to 23, four ambassadors outlined how their social model — grounded in high levels of social trust, inclusive governance and human-centric values — is shaping the trajectory of AI development and what policy and societal lessons it may offer Korea. The annual initiative, jointly organized by the four countries, will run this year under the theme “Human–AI Collaboration: The Productive Partnership.”

The discussion underscored the strong alignment between Korea and the Nordic region as innovation-driven, highly digitalized economies, making for a natural partnership in the AI era. Both regions invest heavily in research and development, while pursuing technological advancement alongside sustainability.

Danish Ambassador to Korea Mikael Hemniti Winther speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Finland in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Embassy of Finland in Korea

“Both Korea and the Nordic countries are basing our economies on very innovative solutions and also on green growth,” said Danish Ambassador to Korea Mikael Hemniti Winther, noting that this alignment creates “a lot of potential for cooperation.” Denmark’s long-standing innovation partnership with Korea, including the establishment of an innovation center in Seoul in 2013, reflects this synergy.

At the same time, differences between the two regions offer complementary strengths. While Korea brings “the size, the scale and the speed of innovation development,” Winther pointed to a defining structural feature of the Nordic countries, a societal model built on trust.

“We are what we call 'trust-based societies' that create a societal trust among people,” the Danish ambassador said, adding that this trust is reflected in low levels of corruption and is “increasingly integrated in the way we look at how we organize our societies, including with the use of AI.”

Finnish Ambassador to Korea Jyri Järviaho speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Finland in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Norwegian Embassy in Korea

This emphasis on trust lies at the core of the Nordic approach to AI. Finnish Ambassador Jyri Järviaho said that artificial intelligence is developed in a way that is intentionally designed to enhance human capabilities.

"In the Nordic countries, AI is mainly focused on enhancing human capabilities and not to replace them. So that's our focus. We try not to forget that we have humans on this planet, so we need to navigate this in a way that ensures humans are taken into account when we develop AI,” he said.

This philosophy is embedded in inclusive and transparent development processes. The Finnish ambassador explained that Nordic countries prioritize openness, sustainability and accountability, particularly in public-sector applications such as healthcare, education and transportation.

“It’s so important that we develop AI as openly and inclusively as possible, so that everyone has a stake in its development," Järviaho added.

Education also plays a central role in ensuring that societies can fully benefit from AI. Rather than limiting AI literacy to younger generations, Nordic governments emphasize lifelong learning.

“We need to not only educate the kids and youth but also all the way up to pensioners so that we can also harvest the benefits of the AI,” he said, highlighting the importance of reskilling and upskilling at a societal level.

Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Finland in central Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Norwegian Embassy in Korea

Ethical governance is equally central to the Nordic model. “All the Nordic countries approach the digitalization and the new technologies with a very strong emphasis on ethics, trust and the broader social benefit,” Norwegian Ambassador Anne Kari Hansen Ovind said during the interview.

Norway offers a clear example of this approach, according to Ovind, combining robust regulation with coordinated innovation.

“We balance rapid AI development with clear ethical safeguards, such as combining strong regulation with national innovation strategies,” she said, noting that Norway incorporates the EU Artificial Intelligence Act into its legal framework.

She added that this approach is supported by a clear national strategy and cross-sector collaboration, including platforms that connect government, industry and academia.

As a result, Norway has established national platforms that connect the public sector, industry and academia, including AI centers in key sectors where cooperation with Korea is seen as particularly promising.

Swedish Ambassador to Korea Karl-Olof Andersson speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Finland in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Embassy of Finland in Korea

Swedish Ambassador Karl-Olof Andersson further explained that the Nordic model places a strong focus on cross-sector collaboration as a "structural feature rather than a choice."

“This is not about symbolic cooperation; it’s a system where laws, budgets and institutional design make cooperation the default,” Andersson said.

In Sweden, this approach is reflected in a broad institutional ecosystem. More than 100 public agencies and universities have been assigned AI- and data-related roles, while industries participate through regulatory sandboxes and joint innovation programs. Universities, in turn, contribute through research, talent development and experimentation.

Trust again plays a foundational role in enabling this system. “We see public data as a public asset and data sharing across institutions is both expected and normalized,” Swedish Ambassador Karl-Olof Andersson said, describing a governance model in which the government acts less as a regulator and more as a “coordinator enabler,” while industry and academia are treated as strategic partners.

This long-term, system-based approach suggests that effective AI development depends not only on technological capability, but also on institutional design and social consensus. Rather than relying on short-term projects, Nordic countries focus on building durable platforms that enable continuous collaboration among stakeholders.

A poster for this year's Nordic+Korea Innovation Days, organized under the theme of “Human–AI Collaboration: The Productive Partnership” / Courtesy of four Nordic embassies in Korea

As Andersson noted, this framework also allows for experimentation. Public sector institutions are encouraged to test AI solutions — and even to fail in controlled settings — in order to refine and improve systems over time.

In terms of industry cooperation between Nordic countries and Korea, several sectors stand out as particularly promising. Finland highlighted industrial AI and information technology, supported by strong tech companies and advanced network infrastructure, as well as robotics, digital health and defense.

“Industrial AI and robotics are central to what we are developing, and digital health is also a key area of focus,” Järviaho said.

He noted that Finnish companies are driving AI applications in industry, while next-generation networks such as 6G will further enable data-intensive technologies. The Finnish ambassador also pointed to growing opportunities in the defense sector, particularly in collaboration with Korea.

The Danish ambassador also identified collaborative robotics as a key area of synergy, particularly given Korea’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. He noted that Nordic countries focus on “collaborative robotics, meaning robots that work with humans,” reflecting the broader Nordic emphasis on human–machine partnership rather than replacement.

Winther also stressed the green transition as a central priority. “The green transition is really at the center of our cooperation with Korea,” he said, noting that both sides share ambitious climate goals.

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To translate dialogue into concrete outcomes, the ambassadors stressed the importance of creating platforms for sustained engagement.

“Creating arenas is so important and where researchers and businesses and of course policymakers can meet,” Ovind said, underlining the role of initiatives, such as the upcoming Nordic+Korea Innovation Days.

Looking ahead, the discussion turned to the skills needed in the era of human–AI collaboration, where human-centered capabilities are becoming increasingly essential.

“The ability to define problems, to interpret data and to understand the ethical risks when we work with AI systems is critical,” Andersson said.

He added that “creativity, critical thinking, communication and ethical judgments, along with social abilities such as collaboration, empathy and relationship-building,” are the areas where humans complement AI rather than compete with it.

Ultimately, the Nordic perspective frames AI as a societal project as much as a technological one. “Competitiveness in the AI era will not depend on technology alone, but on how effectively societies design the partnership between humans,” the Swedish ambassador highlighted.