Putting Denmark on the map for AI research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform nearly all aspects of human daily and professional life. Interdisciplinary and at the forefront of fundamental AI research the Pioneer Centre for AI is Denmark’s academic answer to the accelerating global development of artificial intelligence. Unlike their commercial counterparts in e.g China and the US which have been dominating the AI landscape to date, the centre embodies the vision of a European and human centric approach, with a focus on societal impact rather than commercial gains.

Client:
Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence
Year:
2022
Industry:
Scientific Research
Scope:
Visual Identity
Brand System
Website Design
Collateral materials
Animation

Putting Denmark on the map for AI research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform nearly all aspects of human daily and professional life. Interdisciplinary and at the forefront of fundamental AI research the Pioneer Centre for AI is Denmark’s academic answer to the accelerating global development of artificial intelligence. Unlike their commercial counterparts in e.g China and the US which have been dominating the AI landscape to date, the centre embodies the vision of a European and human centric approach, with a focus on societal impact rather than commercial gains.

Client:
Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence
Year:
2022
Industry:
Scientific Research
Scope:
Visual Identity
Brand System
Website Design
Collateral materials
Animation

A Danish endeavour with international ambitions

A cooperation between Denmark’s five leading universities, the Pioneer Centre for AI is headed by Serge Belongie, one of the most acclaimed researchers in artificial intelligence. He not only brings world-wide recognition to the project but also an international perspective for engaging domain experts and stakeholders.

A unique framework

The centre is organised into seven collaboratories focusing on different AI research themes and led by world-leading experts. Applying a seven-step process, those research groups work within a highly interdisciplinary framework to develop platforms, methods, and practices addressing society’s greatest challenges. We took this unique framework as the base for developing an impactful visual identity with the ability to attract high-profile collaborators and top talent.

Bringing abstraction to life

Artificial intelligence is a challengingly abstract concept. The identity we developed for the centre embraces the idea of abstraction but playfully embodies the ever evolving synergies between stakeholders, technologies, industries and research themes.

The centre’s 10 societal impact areas – which range from climate and conservation to equality and inclusion – act as corner stones for each of its collaborative projects, which are designed to positively affect as many societal areas as possible.

"We are inspired by the philosophy, Nothing About Us, Without Us, which is the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) and building on a strong Scandinavian tradition of participatory design. Excellent technology must be developed together with and respecting the position of all relevant stakeholders, emphasising a human centric direction in the global landscape of AI centres."

Excerpt of the Pioneer Centre for AI's vision statement

"We are inspired by the philosophy, Nothing About Us, Without Us, which is the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) and building on a strong Scandinavian tradition of participatory design. Excellent technology must be developed together with and respecting the position of all relevant stakeholders, emphasising a human centric direction in the global landscape of AI centres."

Excerpt of the Pioneer Centre for AI's vision statement

AI research deserves a visual language that matches its creative, curious and highly collaborative spirit. Fortunately this is something we as designers can easily connect with. Artificial intelligence is an incredibly exciting, but also unpredictable technological development. We know its future impact will be huge, but how exactly it will play out is difficult to foresee. We believe initiatives like the Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence, which operate free from commercial or political interests, are immensely important to make sure the technology is developed in an inclusive way, with focus on societal impact. We feel extremely grateful to have been part of bringing this ambitious centre to life, and look forward to seeing the impact generated by its incredible team in the years to come.

Website development: Re:

Photography: Daniel Urhøj

AI research deserves a visual language that matches its creative, curious and highly collaborative spirit. Fortunately this is something we as designers can easily connect with. Artificial intelligence is an incredibly exciting, but also unpredictable technological development. We know its future impact will be huge, but how exactly it will play out is difficult to foresee. We believe initiatives like the Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence, which operate free from commercial or political interests, are immensely important to make sure the technology is developed in an inclusive way, with focus on societal impact. We feel extremely grateful to have been part of bringing this ambitious centre to life, and look forward to seeing the impact generated by its incredible team in the years to come.

Website development: Re:

Photography: Daniel Urhøj