Agreement on research and business for customized ethics procedures
The 2nd Plenary Meeting of AI-DAPT occurred in Nicosia from October 15th to 16th. This gathering brought together the partners to discuss the progress made so far and outline the next steps needed to achieve the project’s goals.
In the update from the various work packages and their dedicated teams, the discussion on ethics certainly engaged participants in a broader, more cross-sectional dialogue.
Ethics undoubtedly stirs conversation in business, influencing how companies manage resources, pursue sustainability, and interact with employees, customers, and partners. This impact is equally significant in the research environment, profoundly shaping practices and priorities.
The topic was thoroughly discussed during the meeting, as the project intertwines both research and business aspects, from the ethical principles governing the AI-DAPT context to the implementation of the AI Lifecycle Management Services, which facilitate the handling of trustworthy and fair AI pipelines to the establishment of tailored ethics procedures, which ultimately contribute to the AI-DAPT verification and validation framework.
Legal and ethical principles must adapt to the needs of these fields. More importantly, we must develop effective solutions and methodologies that ensure the project’s tasks comply with legal standards and uphold ethical integrity.
In AI-DAPT, utilizing innovative technologies raises concerns about balancing advancements with individual privacy, especially regarding data generation and artificial intelligence use. Navigating the fine line between embracing technological innovations and protecting individual privacy presents a compelling ethical dilemma we must tackle.
The gathering, storage, and analysis of data in the project’s demonstrators raise essential concerns regarding privacy and data protection. Questions arise about who has access to personal information, how it is used, and whether individuals control their data. Due to their sensitive nature, the areas affected by AI-DAPT use cases—such as healthcare and energy within the others necessitate careful consideration. These fields often involve critical systems and personal data, making it essential to approach their integration with thoughtfulness and responsibility.
The ethical approach to this task ensures that their deployments are in harmony with human values, uphold human rights, and steer clear of any harm or misuse of personal information.
In addition, artificial intelligence systems leverage algorithms to make decisions, but these can often carry biases, reflecting the prejudices of their human creators or the data used for training. This raises important ethical issues regarding fairness and discrimination, and, again, a legal and ethical framework is crucial to promote transparency and accountability in decision-making processes to ensure equitable and just outcomes.
To tackle these challenges, humans are actively involved in overseeing, guiding, or stepping in during automated processes, rather than allowing AI systems to make decisions or predictions entirely on their own.
This method is known as “Human in the Loop” (HITL) and is an essential component of AI-DAPT. Researchers and data scientists will provide personalized insights through HITL approaches, ensuring that end users can grasp and embrace the AI solutions offered. This helps users build trust in the predictions, as well as confidence in their fairness, reliability, and logical soundness.
HITL is particularly valuable in ensuring that AI aligns closely with human values, ethics, and complex, nuanced decision-making. It keeps AI systems grounded in human oversight and helps reduce potential biases and errors.
During the meeting, the AI-DAPT consortium tackled various issues and concluded that embracing disruptive technologies can be incredibly advantageous and, at times, essential for overcoming research challenges. However, the integration of these new technologies mustn’t lead to ethical concerns.
Ultimately, we need to create a culture of responsibility in research, technology, and business. With their diverse portfolio of partners in essential areas, European projects are ideal for fostering a culture of ethics.
In line with these insights, S&D Consulting Europe, under the leadership of one of its Directors, Marina Cugurra — a specialist in R&I law and ethics — already launched a new initiative aimed at this very goal: HELEN, the “Horizon Europe Legal and Ethics Network.”
The primary goal of HELEN is to foster collaboration, promote the creation and sharing of knowledge, and develop or enhance effective solutions and methodologies. This is aimed at ensuring the legal compliance and ethical integrity of new and emerging technologies and breakthroughs. HELEN seeks to implement the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) guidelines through cross-project collaboration, exchanges, and innovation, ensuring that research and innovation outcomes align with ethical values and safeguard fundamental rights.
The network’s initiatives will rigorously address the legal and ethical challenges posed by recent technological advancements across various sectors. It will emphasize the distinct methodologies adopted by clustered projects while fostering robust and synergistic collaborations with complementary initiatives. To advance the network’s initiatives, HELEN will host and engage in international conferences, as well as national and international workshops that bring together a diverse array of stakeholders, including experts and practitioners from industry, academia, policymakers, and representatives from the European Commission. Additionally, the network will produce collaborative scientific publications and White Papers to disseminate insights and findings effectively.
Integrating efforts and expertise among stakeholders within European Union projects can establish a comprehensive framework that aligns technological advancement with ethical and legal standards. This alignment is essential to ensure that innovation remains secure, responsible, and socially beneficial. Such an approach not only addresses potential risks but also fosters public trust, which is crucial for successfully implementing and adopting emerging technologies.
AI-DAPT actively engages in this initiative as it strongly aligns with the project’s commitment to ethical and legal principles. The consortium is committed to fostering collaboration and benchmarking activities that will lead to developing strategies and measures of transversal value. These initiatives will significantly benefit all research projects focused on innovative digital technologies.
