Contact
The Director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT), Meritxell Borràs i Solé, was one of the experts invited to the HumanAI Forum at TecnoCampus Mataró, aimed at discussing how to transform ethical principles into real and applicable practices in the development of human-centered artificial intelligence (AI).
During her address, Borràs highlighted the value of the Catalan FRIA model for the design of trustworthy AI systems (AIS), an initiative led by APDCAT within the ‘DPD en xarxa’ community working group, coordinated by Professor and expert Alessandro Mantelero. The model was presented earlier this year at the Parliament of Catalonia and later in several international forums, where it has been well received. In this regard, other countries have already adopted it and are promoting it within their own organizations and institutions, such as Croatia, Brazil, and the Basque Country.
The model enables an impact assessment on fundamental rights in the use of AI — a mandatory requirement from August 2026 for developers of high-risk AIS. Based on practical cases, this framework provides a step-by-step guide for evaluating risks to individuals, allowing them to be mitigated before systems reach the market.
Borràs spoke about this pioneering methodology in Europe, which arises from the new responsibilities granted to the Authority by the Artificial Intelligence Regulation. She reminded attendees that it is everyone’s task to build solid foundations for the development of competitive AI that also respects the European system of values. Finally, she encouraged the students present to always consider the end user and their rights when designing or implementing AI systems.
The event featured experts such as Sandra Ruiz Peralta, Director General for Digital Economy and Society; Xantal Llavina, journalist specialized in information and communication technologies; Gemma Galdón, CEO of Eticas.ai; Ignasi Belda, Director General of the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA); Enric Bayó, Business Model Manager at ACCIÓ; Carles Planas, journalist specialized in technology and power; Paula Petrone, Director of Digital Health at the CNS in Barcelona; Albert Sabater Coll, Director of the Observatory of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence of Catalonia (OEIAC); and Núria Salán, Vice-President of the Catalan Society of Technology.
At an event organized at TecnoCampus Mataró, the Director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority, Meritxell Borràs i Solé, defended the Catalan FRIA model for ethical and trustworthy AI, promoted by the APDCAT and already a reference in other countries around the world.