Our grantees have helped put fundamental rights and democratic freedoms at the heart of policymaking on AI. They’ve brought marginalised communities such as migrants, autistic people and sex workers into the debate. And they’re exploring how AI is intersecting in criminal justice, climate, health and more.
As well as offering financial support, we help organisations build networks, gain skills and work collaboratively to drive change.
Issued: Apr 2025|1 year 9 monthsClosed
Friends of the Earth Ireland
€108.000 AI Accountability
Ireland
Despite introducing legally binding carbon budgets in 2021, the Irish Government has pursued an economic model heavily reliant on data centre expansion, largely driven by the rise of AI. Data centres have emerged as the largest driver of electricity demand in Ireland, consuming a share of all energy three times higher than in other EU countries.
With this grant, Friends of the Earth Ireland partnered with others to establish a system of accountability for AI-powered data centre growth in Ireland – a moratorium.
With this project, Reversing.Works aimed to lower the barrier of entry so that activists (unions, councils, or workers themselves) can get support and help in getting their boss – the platform – to respect workers’ rights, despite AI algorithms managing them.
With this grant, AI Forensics will leverage the use of Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to access platform data, assess AI systems, and learn how to best leverage this new transparency mechanism. They will share their insights with regulators and civil society, strengthening AI accountability.
With this grant, Homo Digitalis set up G.A.I.N – Greek AI Network – uniting civil society groups to share expertise, knowledge and know-how, and build collective strategies to promote social justice alongside the AI Act implementation.
Building on the coordination CDT Europe steered during the AI Act negotiations, with this grant they brought together key civil society organisations and decision-makers to discuss and collaborate on key AI Act milestones to ensure collective work towards its successful implementation.
Hermes Center (Associazione Hermes) and The Good Lobby Italy
€60.000 AI Act Implementation
Italy
With this grant, Hermes Center and the Good Lobby Italy strengthened the Italian Digital and Human Rights Network to better engage on the AI Act implementation process. Together they identified and established human rights authority, informed guidelines for managing redress mechanisms, pushed for national regulation of biometric surveillance systems and development of enforcement.
Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC)
€45.540 AI Act Implementation
Belgium / Europe
With support from the European AI & Society Fund, BEUC aims to ensure that AI systems are respectful of European fundamental and consumer rights and values, and that consumers are able to enjoy a fair, healthy and innovative society.
Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL)
€59.965 AI Act Implementation
Denmark
The Danish Institute for Human Rights, a centre of expertise on business and human rights, partnered with the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, a leading CSO working on technology and AI, published a guide on fundamental rights impact assessments (FRIAs) to inform the European Commission’s (EC) expected template.
With the support from the European AI & Society Fund, epicenter.works fostered social justice and the rule of law in AI regulation in Austria, establishing it as a model for EU-wide rights-respecting standards.
