On 29 July 2021, representatives of the Council of Europe took part in the 2nd day of EuroDIG 2021, a yearly event dedicated to the Pan-European dialogue on Internet governance.
Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Council’s Information society department, delivered a keynote speech, describing the Council of Europe’s vision and approach for tackling the challenges and opportunities of the digital transformation facing the modern society.
The keynote was followed by 2 workshops focusing on the development and application of AI systems in the context relevant for human rights.
The first workshop, moderated by Urska Umek, Head of Media Unit, dealt with the consequences of AI for data protection.
The workshop gave an overview of the challenges the industry and governments are facing today in relation to AI and data protection, and provided insights into some of the possible solutions. The focus of the workshop was on the ongoing regulatory developments in the field of AI and data protection, and on how the industry can use AI in a privacy-friendly way.
The second workshop, moderated by Aleksandr Tiulkanov, the Council’s Special adviser on digital development, covered the topic of bias in automated decision-making systems.
The workshop participants, among which were renowned experts in machine learning, law and AI policy, discussed popular misconceptions about AI bias and ways to distinguish legitimate concerns from unreasonable fears. They also discussed the different approaches to defining and understanding bias, how it appears in human and automated decision making, and when it requires regulatory intervention.
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