The ITHACA project (Artificial Intelligence To Enhance Civic Participation) is a Horizon Europe initiative dedicated to strengthening democratic engagement through responsible and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.
At the heart of the project is the development of the ITHACA civic participation platform, a human-centric digital space designed to support inclusive, transparent and structured dialogue between citizens and public authorities. The platform enables users to engage in discussions, share perspectives and contribute to decision-making processes, while leveraging AI tools to enhance understanding, accessibility and fairness.
Running from 2023 to 2025, the project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium to explore how such AI-supported solutions can foster more participatory and accountable governance at local level.
A human-centric approach to AI and democracy
At its core, ITHACA aims to maximise the positive impact of AI on democratic institutions by developing a human-centric civic participation platform. The project promotes the use of AI in a way that is aligned with fundamental rights, ethical principles and European values.
The platform is designed to:
This approach ensures that AI acts as an enabler of participation rather than a substitute for human judgment.
The ITHACA platform: from concept to implementation
A key outcome of the project is the development of the ITHACA digital platform, which provides a structured space for civic dialogue between citizens and public authorities.
The platform enables users to:
It integrates a range of AI-powered tools designed to support users throughout the engagement process. These include features such as content summarisation, translation, simplification and toxicity detection, all implemented as assistive tools to enhance accessibility and understanding .
Importantly, the system follows a human-in-the-loop approach, ensuring that AI supports users without replacing human oversight or decision-making.
Transparency, ethics and user control
A central pillar of ITHACA is its strong focus on ethical and transparent AI. The platform incorporates mechanisms to ensure accountability, explainability and data protection.
Key elements include:
These components are designed to build trust and ensure that citizens feel confident engaging with AI-supported systems .
Tested in real-life environments
The ITHACA platform has been validated through pilot deployments in two European municipalities, ensuring that its functionalities respond to real user needs and local governance contexts.
Testing confirmed that the platform is:
Feedback collected during these pilots contributed to improvements in usability, clarity and overall user experience .
Contributing to the future of digital democracy
Beyond its technical achievements, ITHACA contributes to a broader European effort to shape trustworthy AI for democratic participation.
The project delivers:
By bridging research, technology and public policy, ITHACA supports the development of digital solutions that strengthen democratic resilience and citizen engagement across Europe.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Europe Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
