European Trade Union Committee for Education

This speech was presented by Dr Frederik Hertel, Vice-Chair of DM -Danish Association of Masters and PhDs- at the EU Summit on AI in Science on 3 November 2025 where he brought the voice of researchers and represented in ETUCE:

We often discuss sovereignty in terms of technology and regulation. But true sovereignty begins with sovereign minds– and that is precisely what Europe's universities deliver through our researchers, teachers, academic staff, and our students. They are the human brain that can drive AI towards a responsible future.

My own journey with this technology began in the 1990s, where I and fellow students programmed a simple neural network for word separation. Today's AI is vastly more complex and powerful, but the fascination remains the same. However, today we should probably downgrade the fascination for the technology and pay tribute to us, the researchers at Europe's universities, who are not just part of the AI conversation – we are the cornerstone of a responsible European AI strategy.

We are here today with a clear offer from our profession to Europe.

First, we offer the foundation of all trustworthy AI: the rigorous work of researchers. In an era of paper mills and AI-generated content, it is our community of researchers who uphold the methodologies and integrity that produce verifiable facts. When society faces critical decisions, it is our work it needs to trust. The future of European AI can be built on this foundation of quality, or it can be built on the shifting sand of misinformation. The choice is whether you choose to invest in us as researchers.

Second, as researchers we offer the most crucial component: creating and teaching the critical and ethical mindset required for a future 'AI society'. Those who believe the ultimate limit of AI is processing power are clearly wrong. It is human reflection and knowledge. We, the educators, have the task of forming citizens who don't just use AI, but who can question its outputs and judge its ethical implications. In rhetorical terms, one could state that we are building Europe's immune system against technological misuse directly in our classrooms and lecture halls. The students we teach today will be the ones ensuring that AI serves democratic values tomorrow.

Third, we offer a collective commitment to sustainable and ethical innovation. The massive resource consumption of AI is unsustainable. As a profession, we are the ones researching these complex trade-offs. But our role is not just to identify problems - it is to insist that innovation must not come at the expense of our planet or our fundamental rights. This principled stance is part of the value we bring.

This is our complete offer. This is the value ETUCE brings.

And the urgency of this offer becomes clear when we see how the current system often works against its own foundations.

When I, as a researcher, discovered my own articles in an AI training database without my consent, it wasn't just a personal frustration. It was a symptom of a system that devalues us, the creators. This strikes at the heart of academic freedom– the freedom to define our research objects, choose our methods, and access the resources that enable free and independent research. And what society gains from this freedom is the fundamental science that creates the basis for breakthroughs and innovation. This undermines the very lifeblood of progress.

We see financial institutions warning of an AI bubble. This volatility threatens to destabilize the long-term, foundational work that we do.

These challenges are not just problems to solve - they are proof of why Europe's investment in its researchers and educators is the most strategic AI investment.

So, let's be clear about what this investment means.

Europe will invest heavily in AI technology – that is certain. But I ask you to imagine something.

Imagine if Europe decided to invest with the same conviction in the people behind the technology. Imagine if we ensured that every researcher and teacher had the support, time, and resources they need to do this crucial work.

Our greatest investment must be in the human capacity to question, to understand, and to judge wisely. Because the most advanced intelligence we can build is not artificial – it is an educated, critical, and ethical society, built by us.

And that is what ETUCE has been advocating for decades. Let's not stop now.

Dr Frederik Hertel, Vice-Chair of DM -Danish Association of Masters and PhDs