We are actively involved in the enforcement of the AI Act in Greece
On Tuesday 12 November, the Ministry of Digital Governance published the list of national authorities and bodies that enforce or supervise compliance with EU obligations to protect fundamental rights under Article 77 of the AI Regulation, appointing the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE), the Greek Data Protection Authority (DPA), the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) and the Greek Ombudsman (Ombudsman).
Already on 25 October, Homo Digitalis with its study “Analysis and proposals for the incorporation of the provisions on fundamental rights impacts assessment of the AI Act in Greece” had developed in detail its position on this issue and the related provisions.
If you did not have time to read the full text of our study, we have prepared a one-page summary of the National Fundamental Rights Authorities here.
We underline that this publication by the Ministry of Digital Governance was both the first obligation for the implementation of the AI Act at the national level and the first step in the creation of an effective national AI governance and oversight system. A second and most important obligation is that of the institutional design of the market surveillance authorities which, according to Article 113(b) of the AI Regulation, should be completed by August 2, 2025. By then, the notifying authorities should also be appointed.
Homo Digitalis has been researching this issue for months now and we will soon publish our detailed analysis!
Our purpose? To assist decision makers with our expertise in the relevant issues, as well as to equip other Civil Society organizations in Greece with arguments and knowledge!
Elpida Vamvakas' speech at the 52nd Book Festival is now available on video!
Homo Digitalis has the great honor to be present at the 52nd Book Festival that took place at Pedion Tou Areos.
Specifically, on Thursday, September 19, our co-founder and President Elpida Vamvaka participated as a speaker in a round table organized at the main stage of the festival by the Association of Book Publishers (S.E.B.) & the Hellenic Comics Academy on the topic “Is art written with AI?”
The discussion was moderated by Panagiotis Papageorgiou (Lawyer, Member of the Greek Comics Academy) and Dimitris Doukoglou (illustrator, presenter, stand-up comedian). Other roundtable speakers include Vassilis Vlahokyrikakos (Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction) , Abraham Kawa (Author, Translator & Theorist of Culture) and George Nathaniel (IT and Management Consultant).
The videographer of the event is Dimitrios Bournous and we would like to thank him for the material he shared with us in this regard.
Watch the full statement from Hope here.
Homo Digitalis participates in the European Commission Plenary meeting on the AI Act
September ended with important meetings for Homo Digitalis in the context of the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) at European level!
Specifically, on September 30th we participated online in the first meeting organized by the AI Office of the European Commission regarding the development of a Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI Systems “Kick-off Plenary: Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI”.
Homo Digitalis has been selected to participate in the relevant working groups that will be formed in order to collaborate with Civil Society organisations and other stakeholders in the coming months in this mission to develop this Code.
We were represented at the online meeting by our Director for AI and Human Rights Lamprini Gyftokosta and our co-founder Eleftherios Chelioudakis.
We co-organize and participate in the Tech & Society Summit in Brussels
The Tech and Society Summit is approaching and will take place on Tuesday, 1st October in Brussels! This exciting conference, co-organized by EDRi in collaboration with Homo Digitalis and over 40 other organizations, will bring together leading experts, policymakers, and human rights advocates to discuss the intersection of technology and societal impacts in Europe. The summit will cover critical issues, ranging from digital rights and climate change to AI regulations, contributing to the shaping of a fair and equitable digital future for all.
We are excited that Eleftherios Chelioudakis will represent Homo Digitalis as a speaker at the session Visionary Roundtable: Building an EU Digital Enforcement Strategy. With important laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Digital Services Act (DSA), and AI Act, Eleftherios will highlight the actions of Homo Digitalis, discussing how these regulations can effectively protect rights and boost Europe’s competitiveness in the digital space.
Additionally, Homo Digitalis has been invited to participate in the session Fundamental Rights in Focus: Joint Efforts for Spyware Regulation in the EU, co-organized by the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) and Amnesty International. In this session, key policymakers and civil society representatives will meet to explore ways to regulate spyware in the EU, and we will discuss our experiences from the latest related developments in Greece.
You can read more about the Tech and Society Summit and view its program here.
Homo Digitalis met with representatives of the Ministry of Digital Governance for the national implementation of the AI Act
September started with important meetings for Homo Digitalis in the context of the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) at national level!
Specifically, on September 4, we had the honor to meet with the Ministry of Digital Governance and its representatives Mr. Vassilis Karkatzounis and Mr. Papagiotis Papaspiliopoulos in order to exchange views on the implementation of the AI Act in Greece. We were represented at the meeting by our Director for AI and Human Rights issues Lamprini Gyftokosta and our co-founder Eleftherios Chelioudakis. We would like to thank the representatives of the Ministry for their positive response to our request for a meeting, the and the very fruitful dialogue!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Homo Digitalis participates in the European Commission's Open Consultation on General-Purpose AI
Yesterday, 18/9 Homo Digitalis submitted its responses to the European Commission’s Open Consultation under the title “FUTURE-PROOF AI ACT: TRUSTWORTHY GENERAL-PURPOSE AI”. The consultation covered issues concerning the future implementation of the AI ACT legislation and how to make the use of General-Purpose AI models trustworthy.
Homo Digitalis’ position paper on the Consultation was prepared by our organisation’s AI & Human Rights Director, Lamprini Gyftokosta and our member Tania Skrapaliori
You can read our statement here.
Participation of Homo Digitalis in the 52nd Book Festival
Homo Digitalis has the great honour to be present at the 52nd Book Festival taking place at the Pedion tou Areos.
Specifically, on Thursday 19 September at 20:15, our co-founder and President Elpida Vamvaka will participate as a speaker in a round table organized on the main stage of the festival by the Association of Book Publishers (S.E.B.) & the Hellenic Comics Academy on the topic “Is art written with AI?”
The discussion will be moderated by Panagiotis Papageorgiou (Lawyer, Member of the Greek Comics Academy) and Dimitris Doukoglou (illustrator, presenter, stand-up comedian).
Other important speakers of the round table include Vassilis Vlahokyrikakos (Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction) , Abraham Kawa (Author, Translator & Theorist of Culture) and George Nathaniel (IT and Management Consultant).
You can find out more about the full Festival programme here.
Learn more about the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, in the drafting of which Homo Digitalis was actively involved.
The Council of Europe has published an important overview of the “Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law,” the first international legally binding instrument for AI.
The AI Treaty “aims to ensure that activities within the lifecycle of artificial intelligence systems are fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law, while being conducive to technological progress and innovation.”
For more than 4 years, since July 2020, Homo Digitalis has been actively involved in the relevant processes of the Council of Europe, initially participating in the CAHAI (Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence) in the Policy Development and Legal Frameworks Working Groups, and subsequently in the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI). Throughout this period, we had the honor of closely collaborating with civil society organizations, academic experts, member delegations, the Presidents of the Committees and Working Groups, and the Secretariat of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the development of the AI Convention.
Our co-founder and Executive Director, Eleftherios Chelioudakis, has represented Homo Digitalis in the relevant processes for the past 4 years.
Despite the limitations in the text of the Convention, which we have discussed in detail, we eagerly anticipate its adoption and implementation by the Member States of the Council of Europe. The treaty will be open for signature on September 5, 2024.
You can read the related overview here.
We submitted an Open Letter to the Special Secretary of Foresight Strategy about the National AI Strategy and the enforcement of the AI Act
Today, 1/8/2024, on the occasion of the entry into force of the AI Act, Homo Digitalis sent a letter to the Special Secretary of Foresight Strategy of the Hellenic Government, Mr. Giannis Mastrogiorgiou, regarding the National Strategy for AI and the incorporation of the AI Act into national law! In addition, we communicated our concerns to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Digital Governance.
Among other things, we raise critical questions about the national governance and oversight model, the creation of regulatory sandboxes (No. 57) and how the Greek public will be informed when subjected to the use of AI systems that create profiles or make decisions about them in the provision of public services.
At Homo Digitalis, we believe that the next steps of the Greek government will be crucial for the effective or not defence of digital rights in Greece, at a time when AI is a reality in our daily lives. The proper incorporation of such a technical and legally complex legislation into national law and the solutions adopted to address the ethical and social issues that arise are crucial for all of us.
You can see the full text of our letter here.