Lisbon, Oct. 21, 2024 (Lusa) - The Bridge AI project has recommended conducting a national inquiry into artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, offering incentives to retain experts in this field in Portugal and rethinking Technology-Free Zones.
These are some of the preliminary recommendations to support political decision-makers in applying the European AI regulation (AI Act) that were presented at the Bridge AI Conference, which took place on Saturday in Lisbon.
Co-ordinated by INESC-ID in collaboration with the Champalimaud Foundation and Unbabel, the conclusions of Bridge AI aim to "put Portugal at the forefront" of AI regulation.
Among other measures, the project suggests developing programmes that "promote exchanges between professionals from various areas of society and AI specialists" and rethinking Technology Free Zones "so that they are more in line with other European models, following vertical rather than geographical logics".
Another recommendation is the creation of AI red teams, specialists who test products, assess their risks, and identify the main needs within their organisation to keep AI safe and protect the end user.
"To reach these preliminary conclusions, the Bridge AI project - committed to creating bridges between the academic world, business and the public sector to reflect on the implications of the AI Act - promoted a group work methodology with leading national and international experts who, throughout 2024, reflected on the main ethical, legal, literacy and other practical aspects of implementing AI regulation," reads the statement.
In a project led by Helena Moniz, Bridge AI was born out of the will of three young science managers, António and Nuno André from Unbabel and Joana Lamego from the Champalimaud Foundation.
Set up in 2023 and coordinated by the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering—Research and Development (INESC-ID), the Bridge AI project involves dozens of partners, including the Champalimaud Foundation and Unbabel, the Alan Turing Institute, and members of the AI Advisory Board of the United Nations.
The project has five working groups: risk assessment tools, AI ethics in regulatory processes, implementation of the AI Act, advanced training and AI literacy, and initiatives outside the EU.
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