EC Library Guide on artificial intelligence, new technologies and democracy: Selected publications
A selection of key publications
- Adopt AI study – Final study report
European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT), 2024.
A study commissioned by the European Commission highlights the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve public sector services across the EU. The report emphasizes that AI can enhance citizen-government interactions, boost analytical capabilities, and increase efficiency in key areas such as healthcare, mobility, e-Government, and education. These sectors are identified as among the most ready for large-scale AI deployment, with applications ranging from autonomous vehicles and smart traffic systems to AI-driven healthcare solutions and education technologies.
However, the study also outlines several challenges hindering AI uptake in the public sector. These include complex public procurement processes, difficulties in data management, a lack of regulatory clarity, and concerns about bias in AI decision-making. In response, the report provides a series of policy recommendations aimed at accelerating AI adoption. These include increasing funding and resources for AI in public services, ensuring transparency and accountability in AI systems, promoting cross-border data sharing, and aligning industry and public sector expectations. The European Commission is advised to create a clear regulatory framework for AI, prioritise long-term implementation, and foster human-centric, trustworthy AI solutions. By addressing these challenges, the EU aims to position itself as a global leader in the development of trustworthy and sustainable AI technologies for the public sector.
- AIDA Working Paper on ‘AI and the Future of Democracy’ following the AIDA/INGE public hearing on 15 April 2021
European Parliament, 2021.
At the AIDA Committee meeting of 15 April 2021, in cooperation with the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union including Disinformation (INGE), AIDA and INGE Members heard two panel discussions on the topics of AI and the future of democracy, and on tech develop ments and regulatory approaches to disinformation. The key takeaways from both panels are summarised below, followed by contributions on the outcome of the hearing made by the European Parliament political groups.
- ArtificiaI Intelligence and public services: European Parliament study
Tjerk Timan, Anne Fleur van Veenstra and Gabriela Bodea. European Parliament Think Tank, 2021.
This briefing looks at how AI has become a key enabling technology in public services and how its use has increased over the past two years. The authors consider that explainability of AI systems in public services is crucial but difficult to achieve in the case of black-box algorithms. They point to the growing public concern over the development and use of AI in society, suggesting that the public sector should lead the way in creating trustworthy AI.
- Artificial intelligence, democracy and elections
Adam, M. and Hocquard, C., European Parliamentary Research Service, 2023.
AI is an opportunity to improve the democratic process in our societies. For example, it can help citizens to gain a better understanding of politics and engage more easily in democratic debate. Likewise, politicians can get closer to citizens and eventually represent them more effectively. Such an alignment between citizens and politicians could change the face of electoral campaigns and considerably improve the policymaking process, making it more accurate and efficient. Although concerns over the use of AI in politics have been present since the late 2010s, those related to democracies and the election process in particular have grown with the recent evolution of AI.
This emerging technology poses multiple risks to democracies, as it is also a powerful tool for disinformation and misinformation, both of which can trigger tensions resulting in electoral-related conflict and even violence. AI can, for example, generate false information, or spread a bias or opinions that do not represent the public sentiment. Altogether, despite its benefits AI has the potential to affect the democratic process in a negative way. Despite the above risks, AI can prove useful to democracies if proper safeguards are applied. For example, specific tools can be employed to detect the use of AI-generated content and techniques such as watermarking can be used to clearly indicate that content has been generated by AI. The EU is currently adapting its legal framework to address the dangers that come with AI and to promote the use of trustworthy, transparent and accountable AI systems.
- Artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law: Opinion of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
European Data Protection Supervisor, opinion 20/2022.
An EDPS Opinion on the Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on behalf of the European Union for a Council of Europe convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
- Artificial intelligence act: European Parliament briefing
European Parliament, 2022.
The European Commission unveiled a new proposal for an EU regulatory framework on artificial intelligence (AI) in April 2021. The draft AI act is the first ever attempt to enact a horizontal regulation of AI. The proposed legal framework focuses on the specific utilisation of AI systems and associated risks.
The Commission proposes to establish a technology-neutral definition of AI systems in EU law and to lay down a classification for AI systems with different requirements and obligations tailored on a 'risk-based approach'. Some AI systems presenting 'unacceptable' risks would be prohibited. A wide range of 'high-risk' AI systems would be authorised, but subject to a set of requirements and obligations to gain access to the EU market. Those AI systems presenting only 'limited risk' would be subject to very light transparency obligations. While generally supporting the Commission's proposal, stakeholders and experts call for a number of amendments, including revising the definition of AI systems, broadening the list of prohibited AI systems, strengthening enforcement and redress mechanisms and ensuring proper democratic oversight of the design and implementation of EU AI regulation. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.
- Artificial intelligence and law enforcement: Impact on fundamental rights: European Parliament study
Gloria González-Fuster. European Parliament Think Tank, 2020.
This study examines the impact on fundamental rights of artificial intelligence in the field of law enforcement and criminal justice, from an EU perspective. It presents the applicable legal framework (notably in relation to data protection), and analyses major trends and key policy discussions. The study also considers developments following the Covid-19 outbreak. It argues that the seriousness and scale of challenges may require intervention at EU level.
- Artificial intelligence in healthcare: Applications, risks, and ethical and societal impacts: European Parliament study
European Parliament Think Tank, 2022.
In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and healthcare has been praised for the great promise it offers, but has also been at the centre of heated controversy. This study offers an overview of how AI can benefit future healthcare, in particular increasing the efficiency of clinicians, improving medical diagnosis and treatment, and optimising the allocation of human and technical resources.
The report identifies and clarifies the main clinical, social and ethical risks posed by AI in healthcare, more specifically: potential errors and patient harm; risk of bias and increased health inequalities; lack of transparency and trust; and vulnerability to hacking and data privacy breaches. The study proposes mitigation measures and policy options to minimise these risks and maximise the benefits of medical AI, including multi-stakeholder engagement through the AI production lifetime, increased transparency and traceability, in-depth clinical validation of AI tools, and AI training and education for both clinicians and citizens.
- Auditing the quality of datasets used in algorithmic decision-making systems: European Parliament study
European Parliament Think Tank, 2022.
Biases are commonly considered one of the most detrimental effects of artificial intelligence (AI) use. The EU is therefore committed to reducing their incidence as much as possible. However, the existence of biases pre-dates the creation of AI tools. All human societies are biased – AI only reproduces what we are. Therefore, opposing this technology for this reason would simply hide discrimination and not prevent it. It is up to human supervision to use all available means – which are many – to mitigate its biases.
It is likely that at some point in the future, recommendations made by an AI mechanism will contain less bias than those made by human beings. Unlike humans, AI can be reviewed and its flaws corrected on a consistent basis. Ultimately, AI could serve to build fairer, less biased societies. This study begins by providing an overview of biases in the context of artificial intelligence, and more specifically to machine-learning applications. The second part is devoted to the analysis of biases from a legal point of view. The analysis shows that shortcomings in this area call for the implementation of additional regulatory tools to adequately address the issue of bias. Finally, this study puts forward several policy options in response to the challenges identified.
- Bias in algorithms: Artificial intelligence and discrimination
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere and affects everyone – from deciding what content people see on their social media feeds to determining who will receive state benefits. AI technologies are typically based on algorithms that make predictions to support or even fully automate decision-making.
This report looks at the use of artificial intelligence in predictive policing and offensive speech detection. It demonstrates how bias in algorithms appears, can amplify over time and affect people’s lives, potentially leading to discrimination. It corroborates the need for more comprehensive and thorough assessments of algorithms in terms of bias before such algorithms are used for decision-making that can have an impact on people.
- Biometric recognition and behavioural detection: Assessing the ethical aspects of biometric recognition and behavioural detection techniques with a focus on their current and future use in public spaces: European Parliament briefing
Christiane Wendehorst and Yannic Duller. European Parliament Think Tank, 2021.
The brief questions whether existing and proposed legislation adequately addresses ethical and fundamental rights issues in the realm of public and private biometrics. The findings of this publication inform the authors’ recommendations of policy amendments to prevent the potential misuse of large-scale surveillance of individuals via intrusive biometric identification and tracking, in addition to AI bias towards various ethnic groups.
- Data quality requirements for inclusive, non-biased and trustworthy AI: Putting science into standards
European Commission, Joint Research Centre. Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.
A decade of rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in a large diversity of practical applications across different sectors. Data play a fundamental role in AI systems, which can be seen as adaptive data processing algorithms that adjust outputs to input training data.
This fundamental role of data is reflected in the EU policy agenda where for example guidance on handling the data is specified in the AI Act. In response to the needs of the AI Act, the Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation, organised the Putting Science Into Standards workshop on data quality requirements for inclusive, nonbiased, and trustworthy artificial intelligence. The workshop took place on 8 and 9 June 2022, with more than 178 participants from 36 countries gathering for the first time European standardisation experts, legislators, scientists, and societal stakeholders to map pre-normative research and standardisation needs. The workshop highlighted existing and the need of new standards from the creation and documentation of datasets all along to data quality requirements, bias examination and mitigation of AI systems. The workshop also identified the steps needed to start the process of drafting new standards and recognised that inclusiveness and full representation of all relevant stakeholders, including industry, SMEs representatives, civil society, and academia is crucial. Building a stronger engagement of experts in AI standardisation is essential to contribute to the development of standards not only to support the market deployment of AI systems in accordance with the AI act, but also to support this growing field of research.
- Digital technologies as a means of repression and social control: European Parliament study
Euroepan Parliament Think Tank, 2021.
The proliferation of new and emerging technologies over the past two decades has significantly expanded states’ toolkit for repression and social control, deepening human rights problems. While these technologies still have the potential to positively enhance democratic values and human rights, they are now also actively deployed and shaped by many repressive regimes to their own strategic advantage.
Globally and regionally, efforts have been made to tackle the challenges that digital technologies pose to human rights, but a lot remains to be done. The EU must enrich global legal and standard-setting efforts, as well as improve its own core foreign policy instruments. The EU’s foreign policy toolbox has become more comprehensive in the last several years, with the addition of a number of different strands to its efforts against ‘digital authoritarianism’. The challenge related to the use of digital technologies by authoritarian regimes has continued to deepen, however. The EU must therefore continue to find ways to fine-tune and add to this toolbox. A core finding that runs through this report is that the EU has undertaken many valuable and well-designed policy initiatives in this field, but still has to decide whether tackling digital repression is a core geopolitical interest at the highest political level.
- Glossary of human-centric artificial intelligence
European Commission, Joint Research Centre. Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.
The European approach for AI focuses on two main areas: excellence and trust, enabling the development and uptake of AI while ensuring people's safety and fundamental rights. However, research and policy documentations do not always use the same vocabulary, often generating misunderstandings among researchers, policy makers, and the general public.
Based on existing literature in the intersection between research, industry and policy, and given the expertise and know Joint Research Centre, we present here a glossary of terms on AI, with a focus on a human-centric approach, covering concepts related to trustworthy artificial intelligence such as transparency, accountability or fairness. We have collected 230 different terms from more than 10 different general sources including standards, policy documents and legal texts, as well as multiple scientific references. Each term is accompanied by one or several definitions linked to references and complemented with our own definitions when no relevant source was found. We humbly hope that the work presented here can contribute to establishing the necessary common ground for the interdisciplinary and policy-centred debate on artificial intelligence.
- Horizon Europe, Research & innovation reshaping democracies
European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.
The trust in democratic processes around the world is decreasing as the world is facing multiple challenges causing political and economic instability. The inflation and an impending recession, together with the ongoing threat of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have contributed to a decline in democracy around the world. The number of people who believe that democracy is the answer to these issues is declining. Therefore, research on the past and present challenges and tensions in democracy can help to better understand and strengthen democracy, its resilience and stability. It will foster democracy’s further development with a view to enhancing representation, participation, openness, pluralism, tolerance, the effectiveness of public policy, non-discrimination, civic engagement, the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of law. These reflect the European Union’s values as defined in Article 2 of the EU Treaty. This booklet gives an overview of projects that were selected for funding under the Horizon Europe 2022 call “Reshaping democracies” (HORIZON-CL2-2022- DEMOCRACY-01 and 02).
- Is artificial intelligence threatening democracy?
European University Institute and Galariotis, I., European University Institute, 2024.
In a democracy, human beings make decisions with the aim of serving the will of the people and promoting the collective welfare of society. While machines can learn from data and generate potential democratic solutions, they fall short in grasping the intricacies of the subjective reality of democratic politics. Entrusting Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems with decision-making carries the risk of following optimal solutions shaped by falsified objective realities that AI algorithms aim to optimise. Even if the data were comprehensive and sufficient, modelling approaches struggle to fully encapsulate the complexities of subjective realities within global democracies and societies.
In essence, leaving democratic politics to be governed by ostensibly logical AI classifiers is a significant gamble. In the second high-level policy dialogue that took place on the 22 and 23 of May 2023 in Florence under the auspices of the STG Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Democracy, scholars and policymakers discussed and shared their ideas to map multiple available solutions for how democratic politics can live with an AI-powered world and, more than that, how AI can turn to a beneficial tool for democracy. Most of the participants agree that AI can be formed and transformed to a useful tool for democracies. In this policy brief, we summarise the key ideas that emerged from the discussions in this high-level policy dialogue.
- Key social media risks to democracy: Risks from surveillance, personalisation, disinformation, moderation and microtargeting: European Parliament in-depth analysis
Costica Dumbrava. European Parliamentary Research Service, 2021.
Once regarded as great enablers of democracy, social media are nowadays blamed for many of the ailments of democracy. They are criticised for spreading disinformation, sowing discord, manipulating citizens and undermining democratic institutions. Why are social media important for democracy?
What are the main risks posed by social media to different dimensions of democracy, such as political participation, electoral processes, and democratic institutions? What is the role of algorithms? To what extent are various concerns about social media backed by empirical evidence? This analysis provides an overview of the main risks posed by social media to democracy, linked to surveillance, personalisation, disinformation, moderation and microtargeting. Furthemore, it discusses key approaches to tackling social media risks to democracy in the context of relevant ongoing EU legislative and policy work.
- Metaverse: Opportunities, risks and policy implications: European Parliament briefing
European Parliament, 2022.
One of the most talked about concepts in modern technology, the metaverse can be described as an immersive and constant virtual 3D world where people interact by means of an avatar to carry out a wide range of activities. Such activities can range from leisure and gaming to professional and commercial interactions, financial transactions or even health interventions such as surgery. While the exact scope and impact of the metaverse on society and on the economy is still unknown, it can already be seen that the metaverse will open up a range of opportunities but also a number of risks in a variety of policy areas.
Major tech companies are scaling up their metaverse activities, including through mergers and acquisitions. This has given impetus to a debate on how merger regulations and antitrust law should apply. Business in the metaverse is expected to be underpinned largely by cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, raising issues of ownership, misuse, interoperability and portability. Furthermore, the huge volume of data used in the metaverse raises a number of data protection and cybersecurity issues (e.g. how to collect user consent or protect avatars against identity theft). There is considerable scope for a wide range of illegal and harmful behaviours and practices in the metaverse environment. This makes it essential to consider how to attribute responsibility, inter alia, for fighting illegal and harmful practices and misleading advertising practices, and for protecting intellectual property rights. Moreover, digital immersion in the metaverse can have severe negative impacts on health, especially for vulnerable groups, such as minors, who may require special protection. Finally, the accessibility and inclusiveness of the metaverse remain areas where progress has still to be made in order to create an environment of equal opportunities.
- Neither fish nor fowl: The challenges of a democratic AI
European University Institute, 2022.
In the current era of rapid technological advancements and big data evolution, one important question revolves around whether the growing development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and their penetration through our societies constitute a threat to our political systems. Are AI systems better equipped to provide unbiased solutions to political problems compared to the biased human reasoning?
Despite the several positive dimensions that AI has brought to our societies, crucial challenges for our democracies have been emerged. However, it would be unwise to immediately reject or fear about the solutions that AI is bringing into politics. In that respect, it becomes necessary to critically investigate and examine thoroughly what original solutions and benefits those AI systems are offering to the political world. Politics is a course of action that is not based on a type of linear and deductive reasoning or some sort of techniques that could optimally minimize situations under uncertainty; it serves to make decisions in the midst of great ambiguity and contingency. Therefore, democratizing AI would be a solution to make AI work for our democratic societies.
- Profiling and targeting news readers: Implications for the democratic role of the digital media, user rights and public information policy
CORDIS, EU research results. European Commission, 2021.
In the digital media environment, user attention is scarce and competition for ‘eyeballs’ is fierce. Profiling and targeting readers with customised news and advertisements that match their individual interests is widely seen as a solution. The personalization of news media content enables new financing strategies and means to capture the audience’s attention. But personalisation is also part of a more fundamental paradigm shift in the media’s role from public interest intermediary to personal information coach. This research will answer critical questions about the implications for individual users and contribute to a new normative theory of the role of personalised media in a democratic society.
- Tackling deepfakes in European policy: European Parliament briefing
Mariëtte van Huijstee, et al. European Parliament Think Tank, 2021.
Novel artificial intelligence (AI) and other contemporary digital advances have given rise to a new generation of manipulated media known as deepfakes. Their emergence is associated with a wide range of psychological, financial and societal impacts occurring at individual, group and societal levels. The Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) requested a study to examine the technical, societal and regulatory context of deepfakes and to develop and assess a range of policy options, focusing in particular upon the proposed AI (AIA) and digital services acts (DSA), as well as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This briefing summarises the policy options developed in the study. They are organised into five dimensions – technology, creation, circulation, target and audience – and are complemented by some overarching institutional measures.
- Technology and democracy: Understanding the influence of online technologies on political behaviour and decision-making
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Lewandowsky, S., Smillie, L., Garcia, D., et al. Publications Office, 2020.
Drawing from many disciplines, the report adopts a behavioural psychology perspective to argue that “social media changes people’s political behaviour”. Four pressure points are identified and analysed in detail: the attention economy; choice architectures; algorithmic content curation; and mis/disinformation. Policy implications are outlined in detail.
- Last Updated: Sep 26, 2024 9:20 AM
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