Danske Bank layoffs: the bank cut 262 positions and its own release names AI-based tools among the efficiencies

Danske Bank cut 262 positions across the group on 28 May 2026, 199 of them in Denmark, and its own press release names AI as one of the reasons. The release says the bank has achieved efficiencies through "increased use of digital tools and AI based solutions that help handle simpler tasks more efficiently", and that the changes stem from "increased automation, efficiencies, simplification and adjusted strategic priorities". Chief human resources officer Karsten Breum says the adjustments are "driven by a faster pace of change and shifting competence needs in the bank". The other affected countries are Sweden, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Poland and the UK. AI is one of several stated causes here, not the only one: the bank does not say how many of the 262 roles AI replaced, and it does not deny AI as a factor. The announcement follows an earlier round of 420 positions in February 2026, which this post does not count.