04.07.2026

A new report examines the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence presents for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Denmark, while also exploring how journalism influences businesses’ understanding and adoption of AI.

Titled The largest AI challenges for Danish SMEs – and how journalists can cover them, the report is the result of research conducted by AI Explorers Lise Thorsøe (editor at DR), Niels Viggo Bentsen (news anchor at TV MIDTVEST), and Tobias Tange Jepsen (business editor at Herning Folkeblad). During their fellowship at the Constructive Institute, the three journalists investigated how 14 Danish SMEs are implementing AI.

“Our conclusions are that it is very different and very much up to the different leaders and their interest in AI,” says Niels Viggo Bentsen.

He points out that a lot of companies lack knowledge on how to implement AI: “They lack concrete examples of how AI is being put to work in different businesses”.

Such concrete examples could be provided by legacy media, but first they need to nuance the narrative of AI, according to Tobias Tange Jepsen:

“They [the SMEs] don’t like the ‘robots are coming’ narrative, which has been very dominating in the Danish media for years. So instead, try to focus on value creation. How can AI actually help the companies? What can they gain from it?”. 

By asking the companies how journalism can help them navigate in the process of implementing AI, the fellows found that there is a lot of potential for journalists to tell new stories about AI and how the technology might help companies, for example with repetitive tasks. 

The report’s findings are now publicly available and providing insights for journalists, businesses, and others interested in AI adoption. Find the report here.

The AI Explorer program is supported by Industriens Fond.