The European Union’s AI law will have far-reaching effects across various sectors. One of the areas where the use of AI will be regulated is something most of us have experienced: crossing borders.
The EU is currently testing new border technologies through several innovation projects, including those relying on biometrics. These include Odysseus and FlexiCross, funded by Horizon Europe, who explained at a recent workshop how they integrate AI law regulation and manage ethical and societal concerns in border management security technologies.
“It’s still too early to say how the implementation will go,” says Dana Oniga, project manager at a Romanian software company. Simavi.
Both projects are currently testing border technologies on the borders of countries including Greece, Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria.
Odysseus is designed to facilitate border crossings through seamless identity verification, digital and virtual passports, face matching, behavioral authentication and other technologies such as drones. The project involves 14 partners from 12 European countries, including companies such as Simavi and biometric technology providers. Thales And Vision-Box.
Likewise, FlexiCross (Flexible and Enhanced Border Crossing Experience for Passengers and Authorities) aims to strengthen border security while streamlining management with tools such as predictive risk assessment, biometric checks, data exchange, human-machine interfaces, augmented reality for situational awareness, etc. .
The task of the project is to provide a toolbox comprising at least 20 modules. Its ethical risk analysis, however, showed many areas that need improvement, according to Ioana Cristina Cotoi, a legal researcher at Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA.
The risks assessed ranged from bias and unfair treatment in biometric recognition and unusual pattern detection systems to electrocution caused by drones or faulty biometric systems.
“Another risk we have identified is increased stress and anxiety among travelers due to constant surveillance and the use of advanced surveillance systems such as drones, fingerprinting and scanning. other biometric controls at border crossings,” explains Cotoi.
Data security and safety emerged as the predominant risk, followed by concerns about surveillance, health and safety risks and, ultimately, violation of travelers’ rights such as freedom and equality. FlexiPass has developed a series of strategies to mitigate them.
According to their analysis, bias should be combatted by ensuring diversity in data collection when training algorithms, refining detection algorithms, and providing alternative screening options. Surveillance or inappropriate use of technology, particularly biometric recognition, should be mitigated through the application of strict access control.
Finally, travelers should be provided with support when they are stressed, while border authorities should implement a clear and transparent border control process. Surprisingly, another mitigation measure was to reduce the use of technologies as much as possible.
Odysseus, meanwhile, introduced a procedure for legal analysis and categorization of risk levels using EU tools such as the EU AI Law Compliance Checker and ALTAI (Assessment List for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence). Following the assessments, the project will introduce compliance measures.
“There are many questions that need to be asked when we talk about ethical aspects,” says Oniga. “There is the rule of law, the application, the explanation, the tests and validations to be done, the quality of the service.”
Article topics
biometric identification | biometric bias | biometrics | border security | data protection | ethics | EU | explainability | FlexiCross | Ulysses
