NWO has funded four research projects within the NGF-Call AiNed ELSA Labs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and causing significant changes worldwide, leading to various ethical, legal, social, and economic questions. Responsible AI development requires not only technological advancements but also social embedding and the exploitation of economic opportunities. The four assigned projects focus on addressing these challenges.
The four assigned projects involve various AI applications, ranging from AI adoption in the technical industry and mobility to the legal, ethical, and social implications of AI in healthcare. They aim to explore both the benefits and challenges of AI, focusing on developing responsible and fair AI solutions.
Goal of the Call
The goal of the Call AiNed ELSA Labs is to acquire knowledge and insights that contribute to methods, techniques, and tools for realizing human-centered AI. Human-centered AI refers to AI in the service of humanity and the common good.
The AiNed ELSA Labs focus on research based on specific public and/or private cases in the four chosen application areas, with findings contributing to the aforementioned goal. In the project proposal for an ELSA Lab, it is highlighted that the ELSA aspects and technology are studied in conjunction, AI is based on public values and human rights, and frameworks and guidelines for developing human-centered AI are tested and further developed.
The assigned projects:
ELSA Lab for Technical Industry
Main Applicant: Ming Cao (University of Groningen)
Technical Project Leader: Rainer Harms (University of Twente)
This project focuses on the ethical, legal, social, and economic (ELSA) challenges of AI adaptation in the technical industry. The main issue is the slow implementation of AI in the Dutch technical industry, especially among SMEs. If this continues, it could harm the global competitiveness of the sector, increase inequalities between companies embracing AI and those that do not, and cause labor market imbalances. Additionally, it may undermine national industrial independence and miss significant opportunities to contribute to global sustainability goals.