Grantee stories
Homo Digitalis
Challenging the use of AI-surveillance for citizen and border control in Greece
Greece, as an external EU border country, has long been used as a testing ground for intrusive technologies. Backed by EU funding, Greece is increasingly using AI-automated surveillance to monitor its citizens, control asylum seekers, and turn away migrants at its borders. Homo Digitalis, Greece’s first digital rights organisation, has been investigating and shaping the use of AI at a national and European level. It coordinates the Greek AI Network and has published papers on the enforcement of the AI Act in Greece. Homo Digitalis also litigates against the development and deployment of intrusive AI systems.
With support from the European AI & Society Fund, Homo Digitalis has become a strong human rights watchdog in the field of AI development and deployment, especially on matters related to technology-led policing and border management activities. As the AI Act is implemented in Greece and across Europe, Homo Digitalis is advocating for it to deliver genuine accountability and protection of fundamental rights.
Novi Sindikat
Mobilising Croatian trade unions so AI-driven platforms recognise gig workers as employees and improve working conditions
Since more food delivery platforms entered the Croatian market in 2019, it’s become clear that their AI-driven management systems are worsening working conditions for gig workers, impacting their livelihoods and mental health. With help from the European AI & Society Fund, Novi Sindikat mobilised fellow Croatian trade unions to understand the plight of gig workers and join a pan-European campaign to implement the EU Platform Workers Directive.
Successfully enacted in 2024, in Croatia this means that gig workers no longer have to declare themselves as self-employed or rely on contracts from dodgy intermediary organisations. They are employees by default, making it easier for them to hold AI-powered platforms – their employers – accountable and fight for better working conditions.
European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance
Advocating for sex workers’ digital rights
AI has created new challenges for online sex workers, who are often overlooked as gig economy workers. To counter this, the European AI & Society Fund funded the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA), a sex worker-led network of more than 100 organisations, overall several years to help sex workers advocate for their digital rights and strengthen a community that is often overlooked.
Funding from the European AI & Society Fund since 2020 has enabled ESWA to be recognised as experts at the intersection of digital and sex workers’ rights. As well as engaging their members, wider civil society and new funders, this is helping them establish relationships with social media platforms to promote an online environment that respects the human rights of sex workers.
FEMYSO
Empowering young Muslims to track and call out AI Islamophobia
AI systems can embed and amplify Islamophobic biases. In 2024, the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), demonstrated how easy it is to break the safeguards of several chatbots and generated over 270 examples of Islamophobic bias.
FEMYSO used this evidence to urge AI companies to take action against in-built discrimination in their systems. With support from the European AI & Society Fund, FEMYSO also developed an AI Islamophobia tracker.
Health Action International
Protecting patients’ care and rights from AI-driven healthcare systems
With AI being used to support elderly care, accelerate medicine research and development, diagnosis and mental health support, AI systems risk deepening health inequalities by using inaccurate health data, reinforcing bias and stripping patients of autonomy. Patient data captured by AI systems is also at increased risk of data breaches, and secondary use for commercial purposes by technology and pharmaceutical companies.
To counter this, the European AI & Society Fund funded independent non-profit organisation Health Action International (HAI) to become an expert on AI and health – and share their knowledge with civil society, policymakers, practitioners and journalists. With our support, they also developed their leadership skills and went on to create the Digital Rights Health Alliance, a coalition of other health justice organisations advocating for fairer application of AI in healthcare.
