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Call for proposals now open: ‘Responsible AI in Practice’

Call for proposals now open: ‘Responsible AI in Practice’

SIDN Fund and Topsector ICT are looking for innovative research projects that present applied solutions for ‘responsible AI’.

Published 21 January 2025

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Contactperson

Sjoerd Meihuizen

Program manager KIA Digitalisation

Topsector ICT

The emerging technology of artificial intelligence (AI) offers countless opportunities for people, organisations, government agencies and society as a whole, through wide-ranging solutions to complicated problems, everyday conveniences and more personal life, and a tremendous boost to innovation.

Even so, it also brings serious risks, for example data bias and AI algorithms that cause discrimination, breaches of privacy rights, security issues, environmental impacts, manipulation, disinformation and polarisation. As matters stand, unfortunately, the fledgling frameworks (legal and otherwise) for responsible and safe use of AI such as the European AI Act do not offer much support, being difficult to apply to responsible practical development and use of AI. At the same time, practical tools and guidance are urgently needed to make sure that data and algorithms are used responsibly. This is made all the more pressing by the lightning pace of developments in AI, such as generative AI.

Using AI safely and responsibly

The challenge right now is to develop concrete courses of action for using AI safely and responsibly. In the Netherlands, for example, this is already being done in ‘ELSA Labs’, which are concerned specifically with the ‘Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects’ of digitalisation and AI. These ELSA Labs – partnerships between knowledge institutes, the business sector, societal organisations and government agencies – are an inspirational example of how to develop responsible, people-centred AI applications.

The present call, issued by the SIDN Fund and Topsector ICT, focuses on designing more concrete frameworks and tools for responsible use of AI in practice.

What we are looking for

This is a call for research projects to develop practical solutions and applications for using AI responsibly. Those applications might be intended for a specific sector or a specific societal challenge; however, the overarching premise is that they should be about giving more concrete shape to a responsible approach. The discussions and regulations concerning responsible AI deal with value-driven principles and frameworks; so how can they be put into practice? The call is not concerned with projects focusing on ‘AI for good’, therefore, so much as with projects that give practical shape to principles for responsible AI development.

This call is for projects to:

- develop practical applied frameworks, parameters, and ‘by design’ principles for responsible AI, and

- develop AI applications and solutions that draw on those frameworks, parameters and principles.

Questions at the heart of this call include:

What are the practical implications of laws and regulations? Where are the challenges and blind spots? What parameters and frameworks are necessary for responsible AI development? How can the laws and regulations be put into actual practice?

What design principles can be used to develop responsible AI (e.g. ‘by design’ principles for giving practical shape to values such as transparency, explainability, security, accessibility and fairness)?

What are the best practices and strong use cases that safeguard public values and offer concrete courses of action?

How can AI be used responsibly, drawing on the premises, parameters and design principles described above to tackle both societal challenges and concerns about sustainable and eco-friendly integration?

Quick overview of the call

Call opens on 20 January 2025

Deadline for submitting proposals: 1 p.m. on 31 March 2025

Maximum amount per application: 125,000 euros

Conditions

Each application must be submitted by a knowledge institute.

Consortiums should come from the quadruple helix (knowledge institutes, government organisations, business sector and societal organisations).

Each project must be co-financed, in cash or in kind. The maximum funding for knowledge institutes is 80% of the costs. Preferably, at least 25% should come from private co-financing (in cash or in kind).

NOTE: A matchmaking event will be held in The Hague on 6 March 2025, where partners with ideas for a project and anyone else who is interested in participating in a project can meet in person.

Further terms (in Dutch)

More information about the call

Register for matchmaking event

Submit a call

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