NoLeFa

The NoLeFa consortium of 6 partners consists of 2 public bodies – Inria as a research institute and LNE as an industrial and commercial institution, 3 SMEs bringing each a specific and unique expertise – Piccadilly Labs SL, leiwand.ai and Numalis, and 1 European research network – CAIRNE, all of whom have complementary roles and skills. The AI Act, adopted by the EU on June 12, 2024, introduces a phased regulatory framework for AI. Implementation begins in February 2025 for prohibited use cases and extends to August 2027 for high-risk AI in regulated sectors. Key compliance pillars include AI regulatory sandboxes, conformity assessment through self-assessment or notified bodies, and market surveillance. Union AI Testing Facilities will support market surveillance with testing, coordination, and standardization efforts. NoLeFa-84 is a two-year pilot project starting in late 2024, tasked with laying the groundwork for these facilities. Coordinated by Inria, it involves public bodies, SMEs, startups, and an EU research network. Its activities include: Standardization & Compliance: Contributing to developing harmonized standards at CEN-CENELEC and ISO/IEC by 2025, supporting high-risk AI compliance. R&D and Testing Tools: Developing testing tools for AI systems’ performance, but also criteria like bias, robustness, and data quality, with quarterly GitHub updates starting January 2025. Authority Support & Training: Building collaboration networks, hosting workshops, and providing technical advice and training to market surveillance authorities.