Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping our societies and affecting fundamental rights and equality. When algorithms support investigations or legal decisions, they can reproduce discrimination embedded in the data they rely on. The challenge is to recognise when their results may be unfair—and to know how to respond.
That question was at the centre of “Closing the Gap on Algorithmic Discrimination”, a policy event held by KMOP, Agenfor International and the Court of Appeals of Venice in Piraeus on 23 September as part of the DATA EQUALITY project. Representatives from the justice system, law enforcement, public authorities, academia and civil society discussed risks including fragmented information, algorithmic errors and the use of AI in investigations. They also examined how to safeguard fair trials and fundamental rights as digital tools become more common.
The discussions highlighted a practical challenge: The justice system, law enforcement institutions and organisations need reliable information to identify discrimination, but collecting and using it must not create new risks for people. This is what the European Handbook on Equality Data, presented during the event, addresses. KMOP contributed to its development in cooperation with DATA EQUALITY project partners, including the Court of Appeal of Venice, AGENFOR, KEMEA, FUNDEA, the Hellenic Police and other judicial and public authorities.
The handbook guides organisations through the process of deciding what equality data to collect and why, gathering it inclusively, protecting people’s privacy and analysing it responsibly. It recommends checking data and AI results for bias, combining statistics with people’s experiences, maintaining human oversight and involving affected communities. Its practical resources include checklists and templates on consent, data sharing, community feedback and the ethical use of AI and open-source information. These can help civil society organisations, equality bodies, public authorities, researchers, law enforcement and judicial bodies develop their own procedures.
At KMOP, we continue working to foster the ethical use of AI and ensure that digital tools respect fundamental rights, support equality and do not reproduce existing discrimination.
Discover more about Data Equality. Download the handbook.
For further information, contact us at [email protected].