ITHACA Project

The ITHACA project is a ground-breaking initiative aimed at improving our understanding of the complexities and controversies surrounding the integration of AI in the field of civic participation. The project aims to promote responsible practices of research and innovation that align AI technologies with human rights, values, and ethical principles. The ultimate goal of ITHACA is to maximize the positive impact of AI on democratic institutions and processes by developing and testing an online discussion platform that incorporates human and social perspectives into the design process. The platform will be designed to be human-centric and transparent, and will pay special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups. Through pilot activities in two EU countries (Romania and Slovakia), ITHACA will assess the potential of AI to enhance citizens' participation in local governance while minimizing adverse effects and empowering citizens with knowledge about the AI models involved. The project will also provide scalable tools for identifying security risks and ensuring conformity with principles of fairness and privacy in AI-based systems. Based on its implementation experiences, ITHACA will provide a data governance framework with ethical principles and practices for AI civic engagement platforms, as well as policy recommendations for embedding philosophical, legal, and ethical values in the development of such platforms. If you're looking to stay informed about the latest developments in AI and civic participation, be sure to follow the ITHACA project on social media.