Simona Demkova on ‘Algorithms as Future Decision-Makers’ at the University of Tuscia
On 13 June 2024, the University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy) hosted a doctoral seminar in the series 'Law and Artificial Intelligence', organised by the PhD programme in 'Law of European and Global Markets. Crisis, Rights, Regulation' and coordinated by Professor Rosa Ruggiero.
The seminar, entitled 'Algorithms as Future Decision-Makers: Cross-disciplinary Dialogues in the Shadow of the AI Act', featured presentations from Simona Demková (Europa Institute/Leiden University), Stefan Larsson (Lund University, professor of innovation), and Walter Quattrociocchi (Sapienza University, professor of computer science). The three speakers discussed the implications of AI in three different areas of their expertise: combating online disinformation, uses of AI by public administration, and discrimination in the digital economy, engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue with the organisers — Professors Daniela Vitiello, Barbara Giovanna Bello, Alessandra Serra, and Dr Mirko Forti — as well as doctoral students Sofia Lener and Alessandro Paccione, faculty members of the University of Tuscia, and the broader student and doctoral community.
The topic of this event also attracted government interest, evidenced by the participation of Dr Antonio Mura, Head of the Legislative Office of the Ministry of Justice of Italy and coordinator of the Venice Justice Group. This group was established at the G7 Justice meeting in Venice this past May to address, among other matters, uses of AI in the justice sector.
Demkova's presentation centred on the interplay between the upcoming AI Act, the GDPR, and existing EU law in governing uses of AI for the purposes of automated decision-making by public administrations. Her insights highlighted the complexities and necessary considerations for integrating these regulatory frameworks to ensure effective and fundamental rights-compliant deployment of AI tools by public authorities. In the discussion that followed, Simona also addressed specific questions raised by Dr Mura concerning the uses of AI in the justice sector and the necessary safeguards and limits in this context.
A recording of the seminar is available here.