Session 5 - Working Together: How Citizens, Companies, Governments, and Researchers should Help Shape AI, Data and Robotics

MODERATOR

Senior and Postdoctoral Researcher at LSTS, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Desara Dushi holds a Double PhD Degree in Law, Science and Technology from the University of Bologna and the University of Luxembourg. Her research focuses on the legal challenges of online live-streaming of child sexual abuse. Desara's interests span the intersection of law and technology, human rights in the digital age, criminal justice, justice reforms, online child protection, and Internet Governance. Before joining VUB, she lectured at Epoka University and advised the Ministry of Justice of Albania. Desara is an Executive Committee Member of SEEDIG and a judge at the ICC Moot Court Competition. She has an Executive Training qualification from Harvard Kennedy School on "Leadership and Character in Uncertain Times." Since 2021, Desara has been a postdoctoral researcher at LSTS, contributing to the CoHuBiCol and ALTEP-DP projects.

SPEAKER

Senior Policy Lead at Data Tank

Anna Colom is the Public Participation and Research Lead at the Ada Lovelace Institute, where she focuses on embedding public perspectives and experiences into the institute's research. Previously, she managed research on democratic innovations at Democratic Society, evaluating deliberative mini-publics across the EU and UK. Anna also served as Director of Innovations and Learning at Africa’s Voices Foundation and as Senior Research Manager at BBC Media Action, working in South Asia and Africa. She holds a PhD in Political Science from The Open University, where she studied the intersection of instant messaging and citizenship. Anna's expertise spans digital technologies, democratic processes, justice, and climate, with specialties in evidence-led strategy, mixed-methods research, participatory research, intersectionality, and deliberative democracy.

SPEAKER

Research and Innovation Attaché at Quebec Delegation in Brussels

SPEAKER

Executive Director at Tampereen kaupunki - CIty of Tampere

Teppo Rantanen is the Director for Competitiveness and Innovation at the City of Tampere, responsible for leading several city-wide development programs focused on smart city initiatives, including the Data-Driven City for Citizens. He directs Tampere's strategic economic policy and collaborates with extensive international networks to advance the city towards a human-centric metaverse. Previously, Teppo served as CEO of Deloitte Finland and was a member of the Global Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Leadership Team in London. He currently sits on the board of Business Finland. In 2023, Teppo and his team received the World Smart City Award in the Enabling Technologies category at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona.

SPEAKER

Professor in Ethics and Technology at the TU Delft and member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Ibo van de Poel is Professor in Ethics and Technology at the TU Delft, The Netherlands and member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He researches ethical issues in technology. He has published on how AI may embed certain values and how we can design it for social and moral values. He has a special interest how relevant values may change over time and for how we should govern emerging technologies. Het has contributed to a report for the European parliament on the ethical and societal challenges of augmented/virtual reality, AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, and 5/6G.