Webinar Series – Equality by design: Empowering Equality Bodies and civil society on the interface between technical standards and legal requirements
Throughout 2025, Equinet will host a series of three webinars (continued project externally-funded by the UK Research and Innovation Programme on Responsible AI). They are aimed at Equinet Artificial Intelligence Working Group members, civil society organisations working in the area of equality and digital technologies.
The webinars will take place from 14:30 to 16:30 (Brussels time) on:
- 25 March (online)
- 1 April (online)
- 29 April (online)
Background
Equinet has become part of the “Equality by Design, Deliberation and Oversight” Project, funded by the UK Research and Innovation Programme on Responsible AI (RAI) under the leadership of Professor Karen Yeung, University of Birmingham Law School. Project partners include the University of Birmingham Law School (lead), the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the University of Oxford, Beyond Reach Consulting Ltd, and Supertech.
The EU Regulation on AI (“AI Act”), the world’s first legally binding, comprehensive legislation on AI, sets the ambitious goal of addressing risks to fundamental rights, alongside risks to health and safety. The Act recognises that equality and fundamental rights protection against the adverse impacts of AI systems requires technical protection mechanisms —in the form of requirements laid out in technical standards—in addition to the well-established legal ones. Technical standards are essential to ensuring interoperability and fostering trade and innovation. When properly designed, implemented and monitored, they also could have the potential to serve as an enabler of more effective equality protection through “equality by design” approaches, leveraging the benefits of advanced technologies and addressing some of its perils.
Building upon its 2024 active involvement with the development of the AI Act’s technical standards, in 2025 Equinet will organise online trainings for Equality Bodies and relevant civil society organisations to deepen their understanding and awareness of concrete technical and organisational measures that help guard against AI-enabled discrimination. These resources will equip Equality Bodies with a suite of tools and techniques (‘equality by design’ measures) to enhance their capacity to monitor and investigate the discriminatory impacts of AI-enabled technologies and support policy reform to address current legal deficiencies.
Objectives
- Build knowledge and improve understanding of concrete technical and organisational ‘equality by design’ measures to ensure that the development and deployment of AI technologies is equality-compliant
- Provide Equality Bodies with examples and good practices on equality-protective guidance to AI developers and deployers
- Facilitate mutual learning and foster partnership between Equality Bodies and civil society organisations in advocating for the adoption of “equality by design” approaches
Participants
The target audience of these webinars is Equinet Artificial Intelligence Working Group members, civil society organisations working in the area of equality and digital technologies.
For further information, please contact Milla Vidina (milla.vidina@equineteurope.org).