She promotes AI for societal good in Europe

22 September 2026

Anders Törneholm

Helen Köpman, Alumna of the Year 2026, works at the European Commission鈥檚 AI Office in Brussels. For more than 20 years she has worked with research issues and innovation at EU level, where a living planet for future generations is her driving force.

A woman standing on a balcony next to a building. — Helen Köpman is the Alumna of the year 2026 at 糖心直播. "it鈥檚 fantastic! I feel incredibly honoured and delighted to receive this award.", she says.

Cars roar through the European Quarter along Brussels' busiest street, Rue de la Loi. Air quality here can be among the worst in Europe on a bad day. Ten floors above the deafening noise, Helen K枚pman鈥檚 office is located in one of the European Commission鈥檚 many glass and concrete buildings.

鈥淚鈥檝e sold my car. Nowadays I bike everywhere I go, it gives me a moment of recovery after work and I don鈥檛 have to get stressed in endless traffic jams,鈥� she says.

Helen K枚pman is deputy head of the AI for Societal Good Unit at the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. Around 900 people work here with regulation and support for innovation to ensure that Europe is secure, competitive and digitally independent.

A woman sitting in a chair with her hands out. — Helen K枚pman is deputy head of the AI for Societal Good Unit at the European Commission.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great to be able to work with technology in a way that鈥檚 beneficial to society,鈥� says Helen K枚pman.

Sustainability and digitalisation

Her current focus is on how AI and so-called digital twins can improve the urban environment by, for example, improving traffic flows and reducing emissions. With about 75 per cent of Europeans living in cities, a figure likely to increase, this is an important issue not only for the climate but also for public health.

鈥淲e want to use the information provided by cities in a smarter way so that all services and infrastructure work better. Sustainability and digitalisation go hand in hand,鈥� she says.

A woman standing in front of european flags. — Helen K枚pman infront of the main building of the European Commission.

AI has been on the European agenda for over 40 years. But two years ago, the European Commission鈥檚 AI Office was created to meet the accelerating technological development in the field. However, Helen K枚pman does not believe that the EU should try to compete with the US and China in the development of large-scale language models.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if these big models are 鈥榯he killer app鈥�. This is just the first wave of the new AI revolution. We haven鈥檛 at all seen where this will land.鈥�

Instead, according to her, the EU focuses more on how industries and companies in the energy sector, the automotive industry and healthcare can integrate AI into their work processes.

鈥淲e want to improve society and are exploring how to integrate AI in a responsible way that makes us more efficient, smarter, more competent and more productive.鈥�

40 bottles if wine

On the 10th floor, the grey carpet softens the sounds of the open office environment. There is a miles wide view of Brussels in three directions. Everywhere you look, cranes tower over the mixed and ever-changing cityscape of the city of millions that is the heart of the European Union.

When Helen K枚pman first came to Brussels in the early 1990s, things looked quite different.

A woman standing on top of a balcony next to a building. — Helen K枚pman has had a particular focus on start-ups. She means it is very stimulating to work with start-ups because there are so many excellent companies in Europe.

Immediately after graduating with an MSc in Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering in 1989, she had taken a job at a consulting firm in Stockholm but soon felt an urge to move abroad. Through Sweden鈥檚 Technical Attach茅s, a foundation funded by the Swedish state and the private sector, Helen K枚pman was given an assignment in Brussels. It concerned picking up the latest technology trends in the IT and telecom sectors and reporting home.

鈥淚 wanted to know what it鈥檚 like to work in another country. A stimulating environment, opening my senses and understanding more about the outside world.鈥�

When Sweden voted in favour of joining the EU in 1995, it was with a narrow margin.

鈥淚n the Swedish EU delegation, we bet on the percentage of yes votes in the referendum. We each put in a bottle of wine. I was closest and got 40 bottles of wine,鈥� Helen K枚pman says with a smile.

Digital solutions

As Sweden was now a member of the EU, new job opportunities opened up, and she was employed by the Commission to help Sweden in its transition into the EU. But after a year, her desire for adventure grew and she moved to Amsterdam, where she helped develop mobile VPN solutions. And after seven years in the commercial industry she took another turn.

A woman sitting on a green chair in a room. — According to Helen K枚pman jobs in Brussels are highly sought after, but few Swedes work at the European Commission, which is a problem as there is a desire for the Commission to reflect the EU鈥檚 population as well.

鈥淲hen I was expecting my second child, I thought I should maybe 鈥榗alm down鈥� a little so I moved back to Brussels with my family and took a job at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

But getting a job at the European Commission is not easy. For a single position, there may be over 100,000 applicants, whittled down through a series of rigorous tests.

鈥淭he eye of the needle is indeed very small,鈥� says Helen K枚pman.

During her years at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, she worked with international cooperation at Horizon, the EU鈥檚 large research framework programme. Since 2010, she has been working at the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.

Sustainable society

In the early 2010s, Helen K枚pman鈥檚 focus was on self-driving cars. After that, it was blockchain identification solutions, digital euro and support to startups, among other things. Now she devotes most of her time to the current AI race with the emergence of large-scale language models and socially beneficial applications.

A woman sitting at a table talking to someone. — Helen K枚pman has lived abroad longer time than in Sweden. And though the time in Belgium has made in impression she still feels Swedish.

鈥淎I is a fascinating area but also a bit scary sometimes when you think about what can happen to this development if you lose control.鈥�

In addition to smart cities, Helen K枚pman鈥檚 unit also works with AI solutions for energy optimisation and extreme weather events. According to her, the climate issue is crucial, and she is convinced that new technology can help in the right direction 鈥� as long as it is used responsibly.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to see a future where our children can live without worrying about the future of the planet. If we succeed in creating a more sustainable society, we can solve many of the problems facing the world. That鈥檚 why it feels meaningful to work with smart cities, sustainability and AI.鈥�

A woman riding a bike through a park. — Helen K枚pman has sold her car and commutes by bike. It gives her some time to reflect and relax.

Meet Helen Köpman

In the video, Alumna of the Year Helen K枚pman talks about how AI and so-called digital twins can improve the urban environment by, for example, improving traffic flows and reducing emissions.

糖心直播: Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering Programme (the Y programme) at LiU between 1985 and 1989

Born: In 1965 in Olofstr枚m and grew up mostly in Borl盲nge

Family: Two grown-up children born in Belgium (but who speak Swedish with a distinctive Dalarna accent)

Languages: Speaks fluent Swedish, French, English and a little Finnish and Italian

Describes herself as: curious, outgoing and fearless

Helen Köpman on her time at LiU

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