Blog post by Clara Beser Ramada, Policy Officer, European Platform for Rehabilitation
On 18 and 19 June 2024, the European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) hosted its Annual Conference 2024 on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and New Technologies for Inclusion: Leaving no one behind in the digital transition”.
The Conference brought together the EPR community of members, partners and policymakers to exchange ideas on how we can “future-proof” services and seize the increasing opportunities from technological advances in AI and new technologies, including assistive technologies. Leading experts examined various concepts – from how a co-design and co-creation approach can result in stronger adoption of new AI tools, to the risks we need to be aware of and prepared for.
EPR Report on “AI and New Technologies for Inclusion Annual Conference”
After the conference, EPR published the Conference report, which highlights the key messages and takeaways from the event. We present below some key takeaways from the conference.
Takeaway 1: Taking a closer look into the world of AI
David Timis, Global Communications and Public Affairs Manager at Generation, a leading global employment program, discussed employment trends in the era of AI. In his keynote speech, he underlined that AI’s impact on jobs, especially those in mundane and repetitive sectors, is significant but not entirely negative. The critical issue is whether displaced workers – workers needing to change their jobs due to the uptake of AI – will find meaningful employment or risk exclusion due to skill mismatches. He therefore noted the importance of investments in people and thoughtful implementation of AI tools in collaboration with the workforce to ensure positive outcomes.
Takeaway 2: What’s new? Exploring AI & technologies for inclusion
In a panel discussion on the intersection of technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), and inclusion, different organisations and companies, such as Fundación ONCE, Google, and Samsung Spain presented AI applications to break down barriers for persons with disabilities (for example, image and video processing, text, voice and language processing, or simplified communication). They also identified several challenges in maximising the potential of AI for inclusion, such as ensuring that users are aware of existing AI tools, as well as the inclusive design and connectivity of such tools, and moving from prototypes to widely available products.
Takeaway 3: Ethics in the age of AI: moving beyond bias and discrimination
In a different panel discussion on ethics and AI, Inmaculada Placencia, Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion at the Directorate-General Justice at the European Commission, advocated for a nuanced approach that differentiates risks for persons with disabilities, noting that AI applications must be carefully designed to avoid discrimination and to enhance usability and inclusion. In parallel, Idoia Salazar, founder and president of the Observatory for the Social and Ethical Impact of Artificial Intelligence (OdiseIA), stressed the difficulty of creating universal ethical principles for AI, advocating instead for personalised approaches tailored to specific vulnerable groups. Maureen Piggott, member of the European Disability Forum’s Executive Committee and former President of Inclusion Europe, emphasised the significant efforts behind creating the AI Act and related accessibility legislations.
EPR Briefing on the Ethical Use of AI in Services for Persons with Disabilities
After the Annual Conference, EPR published a Briefing on the Ethical Use of AI in Services for Persons with Disabilities, examining the legal and policy frameworks at the European level, delving into the ethical considerations of the use of AI, in particular by service providers, and presented some policy recommendations for policymakers and social services on how to ethically seize the opportunities stemming from AI-driven solutions to enhance the quality of service provision for persons with disabilities.
Some of the briefing recommendations to policymakers included:
- Ensuring the inclusive design of AI to prevent discrimination and ensure equitable access for persons with disabilities through data collection and monitoring.
- Policymakers should promote the ethical development and deployment of AI through funding research and development and encouraging responsible innovation.
- Awareness-raising of affordable AI to ensure users are aware and trained in available tools.
- National implementation of the AI Act to uphold human rights and mitigate potential AI biases.
The briefing also recommended that service providers:
- Invest in Digital Skills and Training of Staff on new AI tools.
- Implement disability-inclusive AI solutions to empower persons with disabilities to build trust and ensure a successful adoption of new AI tools. This implies, for instance, creating such tools together with persons with disabilities.