Europe’s digital transformation must be fair, inclusive, and safe. This is the vision set out in the EU Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, which emphasises universal internet access, digital skills, and the right to participate in public life online.
But inclusion does not happen automatically. It requires deliberate choices in policy, design, and practice to ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind. That is why the ITHACA project is committed to human-centric AI. Our civic participation platform is designed to empower underrepresented citizens — people whose voices are often absent in decision-making processes. By embedding fairness, transparency, and inclusivity into the algorithms, we ensure that every contribution is valued.
This focus on inclusion goes hand in hand with Europe’s broader investments in digital skills and capacity building. Through the Digital Europe Programme, €580 million has been allocated between 2021 and 2027 to boost digital competences for citizens and the workforce. These initiatives provide the foundation for citizens to engage meaningfully with new civic technologies.
ITHACA fits squarely into this bigger picture. While Digital Europe builds skills and infrastructure, ITHACA provides the platforms and tools that put those skills into action.
It is a twin approach: empower the people and empower the technology.
The outcome is a more resilient democracy where no one is excluded from shaping the policies that affect their lives. By aligning with Europe’s Declaration on Digital Rights and making inclusivity a design principle, ITHACA shows how AI can unite rather than divide communities — and ensure that the digital future is a future for all.
Learn more:
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.
