Our grantees have helped put fundamental rights and democratic freedoms at the heart of policymaking on AI. They’ve brought marginalised communities such as migrants, autistic people and sex workers into the debate. And they’re exploring how AI is intersecting in criminal justice, climate, health and more.
As well as offering financial support, we help organisations build networks, gain skills and work collaboratively to drive change.
Issued: Jul 2024|1 year 6 monthsClosed
European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA)
€130.000 Build
Europe | Netherlands
ESWA built the capacity of their members and sex worker community to understand the implications of the Digital Services Act, and their digital rights. Community research on the impact of deepfakes on sex workers informed recommendations for a human rights-based regulation of this technology. Their research on social media accountability helped them establish relationships with social media platforms to promote an online environment that respects the human rights of sex workers.
With this European AI & Society Fund grant, Glitch continued bringing an intersectional view to AI policy in Europe. It built on its research with the European Network Against Racism on deepfake image abuse of Black women, and worked with its community to create non-criminal routes to redress. It also began building a network of Black researchers and tech experts focused on AI's impact on Black people.
ANEC strengthened the consumer and civil society voice in AI standardisation, as part of the AI Act implementation. This helped ensure that consumer perspectives were shared around high-risk AI systems affecting health, safety and fundamental rights, even under tight deadlines.
AI Now connected their expertise in AI market power and industrial policy to the European debate. The work complemented the Fund’s Global AI & Market Power Fellowship. It also contributed to our goal of building connections between global communities working to shape AI in the public interest. This work was made possible through funding by Stiftung Mercator.
With this grant, Statewatch investigated the EU’s deployment of potentially harmful AI systems for border control, migration and security. Their project increased democratic scrutiny and oversight of the EU’s ongoing activities to operationalise AI use by border guards, law enforcement and migration authorities.
Statewatch shared their findings with the Members of the European Parliament to increase their awareness and to demand change and democratic accountability.
With this grant, SUPERRR aimed to secure fair working conditions and rights for frontline AI workers that are oftentimes exploited by wealthy tech companies.
They identified levers to improve AI workers’ working conditions through policy engagement on the Supply Chain Act (EU) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) enforcement. SUPERRR conducted research to map and understand the landscape, gaps and opportunities for change in tech policy and regulations and directly engaged with AI data workers to contribute to policy initiatives and form demands.
Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO)
€30.000 Ecosystem grants
Belgium / Europe
This grant supported research, capacity building and advocacy around cases of anti-Muslim bias in algorithmic systems. FEMYSO compiled a comprehensive database and a report with case studies of AI and Islamophobia in Europe, serving as a useful knowledge-building and advocacy resource for the community. FEMYSO also hosted a red teaming event with Muslim youth in the European Parliament.
This grant supported Equinox to co-organise a successful Colour of Surveillance Conference in 2024, bringing together more than 100 digital, racial, and migrant justice advocates – forging connections between activism across Europe. Equinox also developed its own capacity and that of other racial justice organisations to engage in legislative proposals and advocate for a positive vision of re-distribution of resources away from discriminatory and surveillant technologies.
With the help of European AI & Society Fund funding, Who Targets Me conducted research, advocacy, and technical experimentation to better understand the impact of generative AI on political advertising and enhance oversight in political campaigns.
