University of Amsterdam ethical AI research receives multimillion-euro boost
A University of Amsterdam research project investigating the implications of a more automated society and increased use of AI has been awarded €21.3m, boosting the programme's potential for achieving international breakthroughs.
AI research project receives multimillion-euro funding
A research project at the University of Amsterdam investigating the legal, ethical, social and democratic implications of the use of artificial intelligence in society has received €21.3million.
‘The algorithmic society’, or ALGOSOC, led by UvA professors Natali Helberger and Claes de Vreese, focuses on the growing use of automated decision-making and AI and its governance.
Helberger said: “Automated decision-making is rapidly becoming a social reality. In all areas of our life, from health and justice to media and democracy, policy makers and academics alike are grappling with the question whether and how to implement automated decision-making within society.
“This funding for our ALGOSOC programme is a huge opportunity to contribute cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research insights that will help us safeguard our fundamental rights and public values within the ‘algorithmic society’, and create the necessary governance frameworks. I feel very privileged to be able to work on this critical challenge with an amazing team of experts.”
ALGOSOC is being carried out by a Dutch consortium including UvA, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Tilburg University and Delft University of Technology. The money was awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science under the Gravitation programme, which encourages research programmes to achieve international breakthroughs.
Amsterdam’s AI industry
Amsterdam’s AI sector, spanning academia, startups and corporations, are grounded by a mission to ensure innovations truly benefit society. The UvA is part of the Amsterdam AI programme, a public-private coalition of academic, medical and other organisations that help the city develop and deploy responsible AI. The initiative encourages companies to conduct research in Amsterdam and establish headquarters in the city while helping improve the quality of life for residents, or making medical breakthroughs related to AI.