He wants to develop a human-centred response to the world’s most hotly debated technology
Eight projects have received AU Connect grants in the latest funding round. One aims to give Danish companies access to a hybrid form of artificial intelligence.
![[Translate to English:] Jacob Sherson](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/2/csm_Jacob_Sherson_LK_7f86d8d1e2.jpg)
Jacob Sherson is in a hurry.
He is leading a 100-metre sprint of a project designed to give Denmark and Europe an answer to Silicon Valley’s major AI platforms, which are rapidly transforming the way we work.
The problem is that many companies cannot afford to adopt fully automated AI systems and may struggle to compete in a world where the technology is eliminating the need for many jobs and raising difficult questions about how we handle data.
That is why the Center for Hybrid Intelligence (CHI) at Aarhus University has joined an EU-wide effort to advance an alternative to generative AI, which is developing at breakneck speed and producing new content and approaches without human input.
“Danish companies will not be able to compete in a purely data-driven market, because we do not have access to the largest AI models, which will soon be locked behind paywalls. But we can compete by building systems that enable people and AI to work together,” explains Jacob Sherson, associate professor at the Department of Management and director of CHI.
DKK 150,000 from AU Connect
Together with a number of companies, he plans to develop an open-source system that will make AI more affordable and easier to use, allowing a broader range of Danish and European companies to benefit from the technology’s strengths.
“We need to move fast, so we will run a series of rapid pilot projects in early autumn. The next step is to roll the system out to 100 companies,” continues Jacob Sherson.
To support this work, CHI has just received a DKK 150,000 grant from AU Connect. The programme is financed through innovation funding from Denmark’s national research reserve and helps academic staff initiate or expand partnerships with industry.
In the latest funding round, 17 applications were submitted to AU Connect. Eight projects across four faculties received grants.
“It means a great deal. AU Connect gives us a kind of collaboration lab and the financial means to commit fully to the project.”
Facts: AU Connect and AU Connect+
AU Connect grants were first awarded in 2024. The programme is financed through innovation funding from Denmark’s national research reserve.
The programme also includes AU Connect+, which is open only to researchers who have previously received an AU Connect grant.
In spring 2026, AU Connect received 17 applications, eight of which were awarded funding. AU Connect+ received 11 applications and funded four projects.