Council of Europe and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands welcomed 100 representatives of government agencies and anti-discrimination bureaus at the Launch seminar of the online course on AI & Discrimination.

The head of the department of Constitutional Affairs and Legislation from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, mr. dr. Wytze van der Woude, stated:

Knowledge about AI and discrimination is crucial for upholding democratic values. When AI systems or algorithms discriminate, they undermine individual rights and threaten social equity. By striving to develop a broad understanding of this technology, we make sure that it is used in our favour and that fundamental rights are respected.

The Council of Europe Chair of the Committee of Experts on Artificial Intelligence, Equality and Discrimination, Kathline Sander, emphasised:

‘The digital development is a social good that should benefit all, in particular those in vulnerable situations at risk of exclusion or discrimination.  For public authorities should nourish a culture of transparency and quick redress when problems occur. Because the speed of the decision making by an AI systems inherently results in a problem quickly becoming large scale and more complex to resolve.’

The online training runs from October 2024 till January 2025. It presents current European and Dutch regulations and standards in the field of AI, algorithms, and non-discrimination law and identifies examples of algorithmic discrimination. It allows participants to discover case studies and promising practices for the legal treatment of these situations in various fields, in order to build the capacity of relevant actors to contribute to the fight against algorithmic discrimination.