Putting human and societal needs at the very heart of artificial intelligence research and development will help ensure that this transformative technology benefits everyone<\/p>\n
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly ingrained in our everyday lives, it is critical that the transformative power of this technology is fully directed at benefiting citizens. Finding ways of cementing this was the central aim of the EU-funded HumanE-AI-Net project.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project\u2019s vision was to look at AI not as a means of doing what humans already do but better, but rather as a way of collaborating to enhance human capabilities,\u201d explains Paul Lukowicz, the network coordinator from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is that AI enables you to do things you want to do, but in a stronger and more effective way, a bit like having a \u2018cognitive exoskeleton\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
To achieve its aims, the project brought together people with core AI expertise, as well as experts in the fields of human-computer interaction, social sciences and law. The goal was to solve technical problems related to making human-AI interaction beneficial to individuals and society.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to understand how AI affects the way we live together,\u201d says Lukowicz. \u201cThis needs to go into the design process, rather than just being something that is imposed afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project was organised into a number of interdisciplinary micro-projects. These brought together a diverse range of researchers and sought to tackle specific issues related to human-AI interaction. This resulted in a number of deliverables including an impressive number of publications and reports.<\/p>\n
Practical AI tools to support society<\/p>\n
A number of micro-projects were also successful in delivering practical tools. One initiative for example developed an augmented reality system to support pancreatic surgeons in removing tumours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe AI system takes images of the tumour and surrounding tissue and puts them into augmented reality glasses that surgeons wear while operating,\u201d explains Lukowicz. \u201cThe operation is effectively a collaboration between AI and the surgeon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another micro-project looked to leverage AI for more accurate and nuanced air quality analysis. The aim was to take account of pollutants that can be highly variable, such as road traffic, by harnessing the power of AI and big data rather than through using more expensive roadside sensors. Other initiatives looked at developing new tools for combating social media bias and disinformation.<\/p>\n
\u201cChatbot technology to help smooth interactions between migrants and bureaucracies was another very practical application to emerge from the project,\u201d notes Lukowicz.<\/p>\n
\u201cFilling in documents and applications takes time, and misunderstandings and mistakes can be made. Researchers looked at ways to help make this process smoother.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another key element of the project was the establishment of a sustainable research community in the field of human-centric AI. An international conference series was developed and launched in collaboration with the Dutch Hybrid Intelligence Centre to create a space for discussion and collaboration.<\/p>\n
The annual Hybrid Human-Artificial Intelligence conference was first held in 2022, with the fourth edition scheduled for June 2025 in Pisa, Italy.<\/p>\n
\u201cScientific communities are usually defined by the venues where they publish and meet,\u201d adds Lukowicz. \u201cThis conference series, which will continue after this project, will help to create a new community around the notion of human-AI collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project team is also in the process of publishing a handbook on collaborative AI, which the team hopes will become a reference for practitioners in the field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Putting human and societal needs at the very heart of artificial intelligence research and development will help ensure that this transformative technology benefits everyone As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly ingrained in our everyday lives, it is critical that the transformative power of this technology is fully directed at benefiting citizens. Finding ways of cementing\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_scj_primary_category_id":130,"_scj_featured":true,"_scj_featured_from":"","_scj_featured_until":"","_scj_featured_order":189,"_scj_visibility_class":"current","_scj_layout_family":"standard","_scj_article_style":"","_scj_display_overrides":[],"_scj_intro_image_id":19298,"_scj_intro_alt":"Establishing a new era in human-AI collaboration","_scj_intro_caption":"","_scj_intro_class":"","_scj_intro_float":"","_scj_full_image_id":19298,"_scj_full_alt":"Establishing a new era in human-AI collaboration","_scj_full_caption":"","_scj_full_class":"","_scj_full_float":"","_scj_media_type":"","_scj_media_provider":"","_scj_media_external_id":"","_scj_media_url":"","_scj_media_poster_id":0,"_scj_media_width":0,"_scj_media_height":0,"_scj_media_aspect_ratio":"","_scj_media_description":"","_scj_gallery_items":[],"_scj_related_post_ids":[],"_scj_additional_authors":[],"scj_layout_family":"standard","scj_media_provider":"","scj_media_url":"","scj_full_caption":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"yoast_head":"\n