Ethics & Responsible AI
Trustworthy and Human-Centric AI development
The AI-BOOST Ethical Committee is a group established to guide and oversee the ethical integrity, social responsibility, and inclusive orientation of the AI-BOOST Open Innovation Challenge Programme. The Committee is composed of interdisciplinary experts with proven experience in ethics, responsible AI, gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. Its main goal is to ensure that all phases of the competition, from challenge design to final evaluation, align with European values and principles, including fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, and accountability.
Composed of interdisciplinary experts in ethics, responsible AI, gender equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Committee ensures that every phase of the programme from challenge design to evaluation aligns with European values and fundamental rights, including fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, accountability and explainability. In line with this mission, all participants, evaluators, sponsors, and associated stakeholders are expected to uphold a set of shared responsibilities that reflect the ethical foundations of AI-BOOST.
AI-BOOST MEMBERS
To ensure a broad, inclusive, and balanced perspective, the Committee was carefully designed to reflect the diversity of the AIBOOST project. Particular attention was paid to achieving representation across gender and age groups, while also fostering a multidisciplinary approach. To corroborate with this, each partner is represented by two people, one male and one female.
The Committee serves both as an internal reviewer of project activities and as an external oversight mechanism for key processes such as open challenges, engagement with sponsors, and stakeholder participation. This structure aims to mirror the global context in which AI innovation takes place and supports responsible and trustworthy decision-making.
Objectives
Operating alongside the Independent Ethics Advisor, the Committee plays a key role in fostering trustworthy and human-centric AI by embedding ethical foresight into the decision-making processes, with a strong commitment to gender equity and social justice. This mechanism guarantees that AI-BOOST becomes a benchmark not only for technological excellence but also for its social and ethical robustness.
- Embed ethics by design: Ensure that ethical principles are integrated into every stage of the AI-BOOST challenges from the definition of topics and evaluation criteria to the development and deployment of solutions promoting responsible research and innovation aligned with EU values.
- Promote equity, diversity, and Inclusion: Guarantee inclusive participation by proactively reducing barriers for underrepresented groups and embedding gender-sensitive and intersectional perspectives into both the design and implementation of the challenges.
- Prevent algorithmic bias and discrimination: Provide mitigation strategies to uphold fairness and protect fundamental rights.
- Ensure data protection and privacy compliance: Oversee adherence to GDPR and ethical data governance, ensuring that data collection, processing, and sharing practices are transparent, secure, and respectful of individual rights.
- Foster a safe and respectful environment: Establish and uphold a clear code of conduct for participants, evaluators, and sponsors, encouraging respectful interaction and taking preventive and responsive measures against harassment, misconduct, or any form of discrimination.
For any inquiries related to ethics and responsible AI, feel free to contact us at ethics@aiboost.eu
Reference Information:
- UPF
- European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
- ERC Ethics guidance