Scope: Big data and AI are shaping our societies at an unprecedented rate. We produce an ever-increasing amount of data revealing people’s attitudes, preferences, views and opinions. Public and private actors collect it and use it in multiple ways: e.g. companies “privatise” data to augment commercial returns while, on the other hand, state actors can use it for safety and security applications and the public sector to provide better, tailored services to citizens.

AI and big data open great opportunities in many fields of public interest: education, training, health, safety and security, public services, as well as for democratic processes and civic participation. However, both private and public uses contain some risks at the expense of citizens’ rights. These technologies, being at the forefront of datafication processes, pose new challenges both to core individual values such as privacy, freedom and equality, as well as to European collective values, such as fairness, security, inclusiveness, accountability and democratic control.

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to at least two of the following expected outcomes:

• Protect fundamental rights and European values from possible threats stemming from unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data applications.
• Explore the potential of AI and big data to reinforce fundamental rights and European values. Examine the effectiveness of monitoring and control protocols of established legislation and non-regulatory measures over AI and big data development and implementations.
• Introduction of values-based frameworks to inform data governance and regulate the use of AI and big data.
• Innovative uses of AI and big data to enhance citizen engagement and democracy.

CALL ID: HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-01-01