In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, the European Union is taking decisive steps to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence responsibly. Recognizing AI’s vast potential alongside the imperative for safety and trust, the EU has spearheaded the TAILOR Network, a pioneering research initiative aimed at shaping a future where AI technologies are developed within a framework of ethical guidelines and human-centric values.
Funded by the European Union, the TAILOR network is an ambitious project that seeks to navigate the complexities of AI development while ensuring that the technology remains a force for good. At the helm of this transformative endeavour is Fredrik Heintz, whose passion and expertise are guiding the network towards a future where AI enhances every aspect of our lives.
– The EU initiative was what got us started, Heintz recalls, highlighting the collaborative effort to establish scientific foundations for trustworthy AI. I was excited to help develop the scientific foundations for determining what constitutes a trustworthy AI – and to help companies and organisations to implement the technology, he adds, emphasising his multifaceted role in steering the project towards its ambitious goals.
Getting the TAILOR Network off the ground required both a big investment and a collaborative spirit.
– A big part of this work was to actually build out the TAILOR Network, and as with any endeavour, there is an initial startup cost associated with that, Heintz explains.
Surmounting these challenges, the network has set the stage for continuous innovation in the AI field.
Success for the TAILOR Network, according to Heintz, involves crafting a technical solution that adheres to eight ethical principles, deemed essential for AI’s trustworthiness.
– We are hoping to develop a technical solution that can make sure that any model being evaluated meets the requirement for the 8 ethical principles that was deemed to constitute trustworthiness in AI, Heintz explains, underlining the human-centric focus.
Beyond scholarly output, the network aims to influence policymaking, public awareness, and the broader societal dialogue surrounding AI. The network’s aspiration is to foster an environment where healthy scepticism is balanced with an openness to innovation.
Through its steadfast commitment to collaboration, innovation, and ethics, the network is shaping the future of AI.
Looking ahead, Heintz envisions a future where the TAILOR Network remains at the forefront of AI research and development.
– My hope is that we can now continue this collaboration, keep iterating, and keep developing new tools as AI technology is a very rapidly moving target, he states. Keeping pace with the fast advancements in AI technology is vital for ensuring that these developments gain society as a whole.
About the researchers:
TAILOR is an EU project with the aim to build the capacity to provide the scientific foundations for Trustworthy AI in Europe. TAILOR develops a network of research excellence centres, leveraging and combining learning, optimisation, and reasoning (LOR) with the key concepts of Trustworthy AI (TAI). These systems are meant to provide descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive systems integrating data-driven and knowledge-based approaches.
TAILOR has 54 partners and is coordinated by Fredrik Heintz, Linköping university. It is an ICT-48 Network of AI Research Excellence Centres funded by EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952215
