Gathering of KT4D Project Partners in Warwick

Between Tuesday, December 12th, and Wednesday, December 13th, KT4D held its general assembly (GA) meeting at the University of Warwick, UK. 

The KT4D project, funded under HORIZON-CL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-01 call, is a research and innovation action (RIA) focusing on the rapidly changing advanced knowledge technologies - such as Big Data and AI - and their role in enhancing democracy and civic participation. The project aims to highlight the benefits of these technologies for actors across society and identify and mitigate the possible emerging political, ethical, legal, and cultural risks. 

During the immersive - two day GA, the activities and achievements of the first year were presented by all the 12 partners of the consortium, and the upcoming events were discussed gathering useful feedback for the organization. 

The achievements reached in the first year, testified by the completion of many KPIs are a clear indicator that the project is well on its way to satisfying the prefixed goals for the end of its operational duration of thirty six months. 

Striking results are visible through our Publication section, presenting all the materials uploaded on Zenodo during these first twelve months, among which the Spotlight on KT4D’s first webinar, reporting the highlights of the webinar entitled ‘Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of AI and Big Data for a more Inclusive Civic Participation’. The outcome of the first webinar exceeded our expectations with 89 participants and many expressing their interest in the project. The webinar’s slides can be found on our website as well as the recording, uploaded on our YouTube channel. 

Engagement is key for a project addressing the actors of the democratic process, and KT4D achieved encouraging results coming from its stakeholders. In particular referring to the number of policymakers and policy-facing CSOs reached via the website and the citizens involved in the Use Case workshops held in Brussels, Dublin, Madrid, and Warsaw. The Use cases stand at the core of the project testing KT4D’s methodologies in a clear and concrete context. The different location chosen for each Use Case embodies the concept carried forward by KT4D, the idea that Democracy cannot be taken as an immutable and universal system regardless of the context in which it is inserted. Each city has its own cultural norms, language, and expectations setting out different necessities and outcomes. 

During this first year KT4D also stepped into international events showcasing its goals and results. During the amazing EmpoderaLive 2023 event organized by KT4Democracy partners - Fundación Cibervoluntarios -, Eleonora Lima held the KT4D session. The session was focused on Participatory Digital democracy labs to be developed to promote civic participation through AI and Big Data. The event’s aim was to analyze how developers and leading organizations are giving shape to the digital future. Twenty international leaders and researchers participated, while approximately 250 experts from around the globe convened to establish the new guidelines for the digital age.

In order to amplify and strengthen KT4D’s commitment to its objective, four fruitful synergies were established with other projects funded under the same and similar calls in the Horizon Result Booster Framework. These projects align interests while preserving individual focuses, fostering synergistic collaboration. The shared goal is to enhance the collaborative development of digital public services alongside citizens, addressing the impacts of AI and Big Data. The focus is on ethically developing tools for evidence-based decision-making, considering the needs of vulnerable groups.

Finally, KT4D committed to the dissemination and promotion of initiatives and events relevant for European stakeholders aiming at implementing AI and Big Data in a beneficial way for Democracy and Civil Society. News and Articles are released in order to inform KT4D’s public of the newest developments and opportunities in the field. Don’t miss our News and Events sections and stay up to date with the ever evolving landscape of advanced knowledge technologies by signing up to our newsletter!

As we mark the conclusion of the first year, it's truly been a pleasure collaborating with exceptional organizations to co-create the remarkable KT4D project. The results are a testament to our collective efforts, casting a bright light on the upcoming months.