The APDCAT presents the Catalan FRIA model in Colombia

The director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority, Meritxell Borràs, and the data protection officer and head of strategic projects, Joana Marí, are attending the Annual Meeting of the Ibero-American Data Protection Network from May 26 to 28. This year's meeting is being held in Colombia and focuses on analyzing risks in the digital world, artificial intelligence, neurotechnologies, and social networks. 

In this context, Joana Marí today presented the Catalan model for facilitating impact assessments on fundamental rights in the use of artificial intelligence (FRIA), an instrument promoted by the Authority within the community of data protection officers in Catalonia, known as ‘DPD en xarxa’ (DPD in network). 

Specifically, the model was developed thanks to the participation of the DPDs who are part of the 'DPD en xarxa' working group, led by Alessandro Mantelero, expert of the European Data Protection Board and professor of Private Law and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair on Mediterranean Digital Societies and Law at the Polytechnic University of Turin. 

The model serves as a starting point for guiding developers of artificial intelligence systems (AIS) in designing ethical applications that respect fundamental rights. It also helps comply with one of the obligations set by the Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AIR) when there is a high risk to individuals in the development of products or services using this technology. 

The Catalan model is the first to have developed a FRIA assessment applied to real use cases. In her presentation, Marí discussed the projects analyzed within this applied model, covering areas such as human resources, medical research, social services, and education. The assessment has made it possible to identify risks as a preliminary step to mitigating them.