Horizon Europe BIAS & AEQUITAS sister projects join forces to understand the impact of AI on workers 

Eduard Fosch-Villaronga, representing Leiden University’s eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies, and Gustavo Marrero and Ángel Marrero from the Universidad de la Laguna in Tenerife will join forces in the fight against biases in artificial intelligence (AI) systems within the labor market. This partnership between the Horizon Europe Project BIAS and the sister project AEQUITAS marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to ensure fair and transparent AI deployment in the European Union. 

The Horizon Europe Project BIAS, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation program, is a four-year initiative that seeks to empower both the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Resources Management (HRM) communities by addressing and mitigating algorithmic biases. The project aims to develop practical solutions to combat biases in AI systems, mainly focusing on their impact on employment and workforce management. They combine a multidisciplinary approach involving disciplines from social science, computer science, science and technology studies, and co-creational approaches involving the main stakeholders impacted by these systems. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga leads the group on ethical, legal, and societal aspects. 

AEQUITAS, on the other hand, is a three-year project also funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, with a mission to foster a European ecosystem promoting fairness, transparency, equality, and accountability in AI systems. AEQUITAS provides an open platform for AI developers and users to create controlled experiments to detect, mitigate, and repair potential issues of unfairness in AI tools. 

The collaboration between these two projects will leverage their respective expertise and resources to explore synergies in combating algorithmic biases, focusing on understanding the perceptions and experiences of workers affected by these biases. By joining forces, Leiden University and the Universidad de la Laguna aim to develop a deeper understanding of AI technologies’ impact on workers and inform policies accordingly.  

Speaking about the collaboration, Eduard Fosch-Villaronga expressed enthusiasm about the partnership’s potential impact, stating, “By combining our efforts and expertise, we can advance the field of AI ethics and ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals in the workforce.” 

Gustavo Marrero and Ángel Marrero echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in addressing complex challenges such as algorithmic biases. “Our collaboration with Leiden University’s eLaw Center will enable us to pool our resources and insights to develop effective strategies for mitigating biases in AI systems, ultimately fostering a more equitable and inclusive labor market,” they stated.