European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
STOA
Mapping the AI ethics initiatives terrain
While artificial intelligence (AI) applications are numerous, AI creates novel ethical challenges that threaten both users and non-users of the technology, including exacerbating existing inequalities and generating discrimination and bias. Continue reading
Digital contact tracing: Call for a stronger EU-wide approach
There is no trade-off between privacy and health in the context of contact tracing applications as, without citizens’ trust, no technology can deliver the expected outcomes. Continue reading
A crossroads of disciplines: How nanotechnology is revolutionising medicine
Nanotechnology, making it possible to manipulate matter on a ‘nano’ scale, emerged in the early 1980s. More recently, nanotechnology has become the intersection at which several scientific disciplines converge. Continue reading
What if insects were on the menu in Europe? [Science and Technology podcast]
Insects, while commonly consumed elsewhere in the world, have long been off the menu in Europe, but they could soon be creeping their way onto our plates. Continue reading
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising our future: opportunities and challenges
Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to impact the future of almost every industry and all our lives. This is why it is highly important to keep Members of the European Parliament informed about the latest developments, as well as the challenges and long-term impacts of this technology. Continue reading
GDPR and AI: making sense of a complex relationship
The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools should take place in a socio-technical framework where individual interests and the social good are preserved but also opportunities for social knowledge and better governance are enhanced without leading to the extremes of ‘surveillance capitalism’ and ‘surveillance state’. Continue reading
Artificial intelligence: From ethics to policy
The public service revolution expected from the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) simultaneously promises positive change and threatens negative societal impacts – we only need to mention ‘predictive policing’ to comprehend the potential for both service efficiencies and unintended consequences. Continue reading
New STOA study on artificial intelligence: How does it work, why does it matter and what can we do about it?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is probably the defining technology of the last decade, and perhaps also the next. Continue reading
STOA roundtable on digital sovereign identity
In the digital age, citizens need to manage a range of online identities that are linked to their offline identity. Continue reading
What if AI could advance the science surrounding dementia? [Science and Technology podcast]
Dementia is a growing public health concern, with no reliable prognosis or effective treatment methods. In the age of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the goal of more precise, early diagnosis and prediction of the progression of dementia may not be very far away. Continue reading
New STOA study on blockchain for supply chains and international trade
Blockchains combine several techniques – including encryption, consensus methods and distributed storage – to record transactions. Continue reading
What if we could fight antibiotic resistance with probiotics? [Science and Technology podcast]
Recent research suggests that the future combat against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) may involve probiotic-based approaches. Their use in our microbial ecosystems, including humans, animals and the healthcare environment, may provide a novel approach which deserves exploration. Continue reading
Listening to the experts: ESMH interviews with scientists on coronavirus
Accurate, reliable and timely information about scientific or health topics has always been important, but in a pandemic, it becomes critical. The demand for credible and science-based data today is enormous, as people seek analysis and expert opinion in response to the crisis. Continue reading
STOA meets experts on coronavirus: Challenges, opportunities and the way forward
Striking the right balance between managing the health-related risks of the Covid‑19 pandemic and mitigating the possible socio-economic impacts of the containment measures is a delicate political exercise, being performed on the basis of imperfect data. Continue reading
Rethinking education in the digital age
The digital transformation is fully under way, transforming the European economy and Europe’s society as a whole. New technical and soft skills are gaining in importance both in the labour market and as a means for fully participating in society. Continue reading
‘Mind the gap’ between drug development and clinical practice
For a drug to be prescribed to a patient, it must first be rigorously tested for efficacy and safety and subsequently be approved by relevant authoritative bodies, such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Continue reading
What if artificial intelligence made work obsolete? [Science and Technology podcast]
The world of work is regularly disrupted by technology development. From mass production to word processing, innovations have regularly transformed our working lives and, with them, the broader economic system. Continue reading
Artificial intelligence made in Europe
Positive, reliable and human-centric artificial intelligence (AI) relies on the willingness of Europe as a whole to design a balanced and inclusive governance framework that would allow it to become a leader in the development of trustworthy AI technologies worldwide. Continue reading
STOA Panel gears up for the new parliamentary term
During the latest plenary session in Strasbourg, on 24 October, MEPs appointed to the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) held their first meeting to elect a Chair and two Vice-Chairs for the first half of the 9th parliamentary term. Continue reading
What if technologies replaced humans in elderly care? [Science and Technology podcast]
Europeans are ageing. In 2016, there were 3.3 people of working-age for each citizen over 65 years. By 2070, this will fall to only two. As the population lives longer, our care needs grow, but fewer people will be available to deliver them. Could assistive technologies (ATs) help us to meet the challenges of elderly care? Continue reading
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