FORSEE - Forging Successful AI Applications for European Economy and Society

FORSEE is an EU Horizon funded collaborative project coordinated by University College Dublin. FORSEE posits that the advancing technical capabilities of AI applications require a clear understanding of what successful AI means - for society as a whole - together with the conditions of possibility for successful AI. New AI technologies are sites of negotiation and contestation. Different groups, based on their social positions, develop diverse and possibly conflicting ideas on what constitutes “success”. Expanding visions that define AI strictly in terms of technological and economic efficiency, the project aims to develop a nuanced and enriched notion of success that will guide future AI applications and policy efforts. To achieve this, it draws from the social construction of technology to engage with three categories of stakeholders: a) institutional actors, b) “lifeworld” stakeholders (Civil Society Organizations representing gendered perspectives and Digital SMEs) and, c) the broader public. Finally, the project analyses the impact of AI applications on economy, society and sustainability as well as on their alignment with EU values and strategic priorities.

These interconnected research projects will illuminate a broader understanding of success that rests upon conflict resolution, empowerment of stakeholders, and alignment with fundamental rights and the goal of sustainable development. Based on these research findings, FORSEE will (i) develop a novel approach to AI governance that can guarantee more successful AI applications for society as a whole, including (ii) a new evaluative framework for assessing current and future AI applications, and (iii) a new prototype for registering risk and negative impacts. Through these outputs, FORSEE highlights and analyses existing successful AI applications to strategically enhance capabilities of our stakeholders and policymakers to address future risks and opportunities. Updating the SME sector’s understanding of success is a particular condition for the EU to retain a leading position in the AI landscape.