DIGCLASS seminar series: 7th session on legal and ethical issues in AI and robots

Title

Legal and Ethical Issues in AI and Robots

Abstract

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society is undeniable and raises several important questions. How will it affect our lives, both positively and negatively? How can we develop a social contract that upholds fundamental and social rights? Will the forthcoming AI Act effectively address and mitigate AI-driven social inequalities?

This presentation will examine how AI can impact different groups and individuals in society in their various ‘personas’. Specifically, it will explore the implications of AI in employment, focusing on key areas that require legal protections, such as autonomy, privacy, data protection, surveillance, tracking, monitoring, and safety in human-machine interaction.

Additionally, this presentation will provide a critical analysis of the AI Act, with particular attention paid to its chosen governance approach. Ultimately, it will argue that a comprehensive AI governance framework is needed that integrates principles of precaution and prevention to address potential risks and challenges associated with AI.

Speaker

Aida Ponce Del Castillo is a senior researcher at the European Trade Union Institute in Brussels, whose work centres on the ethical, legal, regulatory, and social issues arising from emerging technologies. She has conducted research in various fields including human genetics, nanotechnology, neurotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

As a foresight practitioner she has conducted foresight projects such as the internal ‘Strategic Foresight for ETUI and ‘Scenarios on Occupational Safety and Health in 2040’. She is also involved in organising foresight training courses for trade unions. Currently, Dr. Ponce Del Castillo is a member of the OECD Working Party on AI Governance. She is also a member of the OECD Working Party on Bio, Nano and Convergent Technologies.

Prior to this, Dr. Ponce Del Castillo held the position of Head of the ETUI Health and Safety Unit, where she worked on occupational health and safety policies. She also served as Coordinator of the Workers' Interest Group at the Advisory Committee of Safety and Health to the European Commission. Dr. Ponce Del Castillo received her Ph.D. in Law from the University of Valencia and has previously worked as a lawyer in civil litigation and corporate law.

DIGCLASS Seminar Series

The DIGCLASS seminar series is expected to facilitate the exchange of cutting-edge ideas and debates related to social inequality, labour economics and political economy between JRC researchers and beyond by attracting external scholars, policy-makers and a general audience.

Visit the DIGCLASS website to check the full programme!

Drop us a line at JRC-CAS-DIGCLASSec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-CAS-DIGCLASS[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) if you want to stay tuned with our seminar series and other activities.