AI project manager Fredrik Sjöberg key person at technology-human interface
Fredrik Sjöberg, AI project manager at the University Administration, is working to boost AI skills at Uppsala University. Photo: Private.
AI is gaining ground in the University Administration and major efforts are being made to improve the skills of staff. The current AI initiative at the University Administration is intended to strengthen the entire University. At the centre of it all is project manager Fredrik Sjöberg, who creates and drives conversations about the interaction between machines and humans.
“We have to dare to try things out, learn and do things together. That’s the way to build trust in both the technology and each other,” he says.
Change in a complex organisation like Uppsala University requires both patience and cooperation. In February, Fredrik Sjöberg joined the University Administration as AI project manager and, together with colleagues from different parts of the University, he has since helped to raise the level of AI skills within the administration and opened up new conversations about how the technology can be used.
“It’s not a matter of everyone becoming an AI expert, but we need to create a common understanding of what AI is, what it is not and how we can use it in a good, relevant and effective way in our everyday lives,” says Sjöberg.
Value and utility
Fredrik Sjöberg does not have a traditional IT background. Rather, his journey into the field of AI has been marked by design, business development and human-machine interaction. He prefers a good workshop to a long PowerPoint presentation, talks about value and utility rather than algorithms, and tries to talk AI in a way that “everyone understands”. His work is part of a major effort to raise general AI skills within the University Administration – including through a training programme that all employees in the administration are taking this spring.
“AI is an area that can often be perceived as abstract and I believe in making the technology more concrete and relevant to everyday life, finding opportunities in that borderland between technology and humans. I believe in small, courageous steps. We have to dare to try things out, learn and do things together. That’s the way to build trust in both the technology and each other,” he says.
AI workshops
In spring 2025, Sjöberg has started weekly AI workshops where managers and staff in the administration can discuss and explore AI from various perspectives. This has ranged from practical applications in registration and case management to strategic questions about secure models and the future of knowledge work. The AI workshops have been well attended and appreciated, both for their content and for the climate of open dialogue.
He has also initiated collaborations with the faculties and departments and with external stakeholders to explore how the University’s data can be used to improve services and processes, without compromising privacy or security.
Strategic action across the University
At the same time, action is being taken at a more strategic level for the whole University. For example, Sjöberg is supporting IT Director Måns Östring in working with the University Management Team and the University Board to develop a ten-point list to strengthen the University’s ability to manage AI in a secure, sustainable and efficient way. Sjöberg has a key role in translating the strategic plan into practical activities, dialogues and proposals.
“To realise the potential of AI, we need to take a long-term and coordinated approach. This list is a framework for building skills, managing risks and creating real value for the various parts of our organisation,” says Östring.
Martin Löf Nyqvist