Stories

An AI slop farm stole my identity

AI slop is everywhere. By one estimate, roughly one in five articles referenced on Google Discover is automatically generated. It's less known that AI slop farms steal the identity of existing journalists and influencers to increase the odds of being picked up by these algorithms.

Remote biometric identification is a colonial boomerang

While many feel – rightly – outraged by how live face recognition and other remote biometric identification infringes on our freedom in public spaces, I think it misses – in part – the point of the technology. To understand its purpose, we need to look into colonial history.

AI avatars have been in politics for a decade, but Diella is different

Albania’s new “Minister for AI” is an LLM-powered avatar. AI has been touted since at least 2017 to replace politicians, but the Albanian software, which shall be in charge of public procurement, opens the gates to corruption on a new scale.

For politicians, TikTok’s algorithm is a handy bogeyman

A parliamentary report about TikTok has received lots of media attention in France in the last few weeks. It is interesting in its own right, and it's also a prime example of how many European politicians behave when faced with an issue related to algorithms.

AI Jesus: What’s left of Pope Francis’ guidance?

A church in Austria put an AI-generated exhibition on display. This does not exactly fit with the Vatican's guidelines on AI.

Flagged by the Algorithm: Klarna Thought I’m a Fraudster

Flexible payment company Klarna’s automated systems flagged a user for allegedly failing to pay for an online order. She had been told that a glitch in the platform prevented her from paying, and then Klarna’s algorithms sent her straight to a defaulter list she could not leave without an administrative hassle. Here is her story.

(When) Will AI Improve Women’s Health? 

Across Europe, AI solutions are increasingly being researched and piloted for diagnosing and treating gynecological diseases. While they are still only slowly adopted in healthcare, they are increasingly pushed to become more common.

The AI Revolution Comes With the Exploitation of Gig Workers 

Business process outsourcing (BPO) companies manage the human work behind AI development. However, they face accusations of worker exploitation, underpayment and wage theft. Big tech companies benefit from this work model.

Infrastructure or Intrusion? Europe’s Conflicted Data Center Expansion

Data centers, cornerstones of the EU’s digital ambitions, are expanding rapidly across the continent. Public responses to this digital prioritization vary dramatically. Some communities embrace them as engines of development; others push back, citing threats to the environment and their quality of life.

What Are Green Algorithms Anyway?

European governments are encouraging the development of so-called “green” algorithms and “green” AI. The term is ambiguous: they are not always meant as systems designed to be sustainable.

Work-shy Students, Outsourced Thinking: GenAI in Education

While public bodies see an urgent need to integrate the use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools in schools' curricula, teachers already notice a sharp decline in performance and creativity.

Can Algorithms Close My Bank Account?

Banks use automated systems to monitor customers and their transactions to fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism. But sometimes, these systems make mistakes that lead to the blocking or closure of people’s bank accounts. The phenomenon is called de-banking.

Scams and Shadow Workers: A Black Market is Selling European Accounts for AI Training

AI data annotation companies are losing control of their supply chain. Criminal networks are taking over the work account management.

Spanish National Police Halts Veripol, Its Flagship AI To Detect False Reports

The Ministry of Interior stated that it dismissed the system on the grounds that it had been proved being of no validity in judicial proceedings.

The Healthcare Uberization is Slipping Under the Radar

Nurses, healthcare professionals, and childcare workers increasingly turn to algorithmically managed apps that connect them with hospitals, clinics, and households in need of temporary staff. Born in an economy shaped by gig work, these platforms replicate many of the same structural problems.

False Positives: A Podcast on Financial Discrimination & De-banking

AlgorithmWatch and Agence France-Presse (AFP) released a podcast on automated discrimination in the financial sector, based in a six-month long investigation conducted in the framework of our Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship.

The Rise and Fall of a Predictive Policing Pioneer

KeyCrime was a first of its kind, a company dedicated to using Artificial Intelligence to identify recurring patterns in serial crime. The European Union’s AI Act, however, dealt the project a mortal blow. But the idea lives on.

For Trans People, Online Transitioning Can Be a Nightmare

Just a formality? Updating one’s online identity can be like running the gauntlet and a flawed data architecture only makes it worse for the transgender community.

Image Generators Are Trying to Hide Their Biases – And They Make Them Worse

In the run-up to the EU elections, AlgorithmWatch has investigated which election-related images can be generated by popular AI systems. Two of the largest providers don’t adhere to security measures they have announced themselves recently.

“All Rise For the Honorable AI”: Algorithmic Management in Polish Electronic Courts

Polish courts are using algorithms to support their decision-making process, e.g. for evaluating cases or issuing resolutions. Some see AI as a game changer, but the lack of a critical assessment and transparency as well as the impact on judges’ independence and fairness are reasons for concern.

Campaign: ADM and People on the Move

The Automated Fortress Europe: No Place for Human Rights

29,000 people have died in the Mediterranean over the past ten years while trying to reach the EU. You would think that the EU wanted this tragedy to stop and scientists across Europe were working feverishly on making this happen with the latest technology. The opposite is the case: With the help of so-called Artificial Intelligence, digital border walls are being raised, financed with taxpayers' money.

Italy Introduces Entirely Automated Public Tenders

The neofascist government led by Brothers of Italy passed a law that encourages public institutions to entirely automate procurements, from the definition of needs to the selection of winning bids. The consequences are uncertain as such systems have yet to be implemented, but small communities will most definitely lose power and opacity will reign.

Spanish Inmates Not to Be Automatically Monitored in Fear of AI Act

Spanish region Catalonia’s government approved the use of an Artificial Intelligence-based software to monitor inmates and interpret their behavior. Partially funded by the European Union, the system was to be implemented at the Mas d'Enric prison near Tarragona, a city south of Barcelona, and extended to other regional prisons. Ultimately, it wasn't.

Austria’s Social Security Invests Over €50m in AI – Just for Bookkeeping?

The company that manages the technical infrastructure of Austria’s health insurance system passed a massive tender for AI services. The plan is shrouded in secrecy, even though the company’s track record urges caution.

Fighting in the Dark: How Europeans Push Back Against Rogue AI

Automated systems go astray, they contribute to child sexual violence, deny people their social benefits, or block organizations' online presence. The affected people often feel helpless when their rights are violated, but some are taking up the fight while current laws fail to protect the victims.