DEXAI – Artificial Ethics is a startup founded in Rome in 2021, composed of a team of researchers, developers, lawyers and ethicists to address emerging ethical, legal and regulatory challenges related to AI and other innovative technologies. DEXAI works at the intersection of research, training and consultancy. The team is involved in several Horizon Europe research and innovation projects, supporting the responsible deployment of AI systems by defining ethical, legal and regulatory compliance assessment frameworks for emerging technologies, encompassing European laws and regulations including the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the AI Act, and the Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Similarly, it advises companies in pursuing ethical innovation while ensuring the reliability of AI technologies, upholding the highest standards of integrity and responsibility. It is also the organiser of a Master in AI Ethics, teaching methodologies and tools for expert consultancy in ethics of technology.
What is your organization’s role in the project? What unique contribution does it bring to the team?
In CERTAIN, DEXAI is responsible for the definition and implementation of ethical and regulatory requirements and assessment methodologies, considering applicable laws and regulations such as the GDPR, the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, AI Act and MDR, to ensure compliance of the project with relevant frameworks through its lifetime. Also, it supports the consortium liaison with the CEN-CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 21 on ‘Artificial Intelligence’, who is committed to the development of the European standards for AI systems under the AI Act. Finally, it copes with ethical management activities, by the identification of the Ethics Advisory Board (EAB), and the organisation and overseeing of periodic EAB meetings, where external experts will evaluate and provide ethical and legal guidance to the project.
How do you think CERTAIN will contribute to the Artificial Intelligence landscape in Europe?
With the lessons learnt from its interdisciplinary pilots across heterogeneous fields, CERTAIN can provide useful evidence, insights and tools at the service of public and private institutions working on AI development for research and business purposes, supporting compliance with European laws and regulations whilst fostering innovation, by promoting responsible R&I while reducing regulatory burdens for innovators in the EU.