Artificial intelligence has entered the public sphere. The term AI is everywhere, and millions of Europeans use this technology every day, often without even realizing it. But who will control these new technologies? And how do we know if the AI ​​we use is working as intended and is reliable?

To ensure that the emergence of artificial intelligence does not contradict European values ​​and the 450 million EU citizens, the European Commission has allocated €220 million to create four world-class tests and experiments, with more than half of the member states and 128 partners. facilities. are referred to as TEFs throughout Europe.

These TEFs will act as filters and safeguards between technology providers and society to ensure that the EU remains a place where advanced artificial intelligence – from the lab to the market – reliably thrives for every citizen in Europe and beyond.

June 27 is the official launch date of the first four physical and virtual test centers across Europe, abbreviated as xTEF at the launch event. The launch will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The launch is organized by CitCom.ai for Smart Cities and Communities – TEF, a collaboration between 33 partners in 11 countries led by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in close collaboration with the Danish Confederation of Industry (DI). ) and the non-profit industry organization of TEF providers TEF DK.

“We have the best European partners with extensive knowledge and experience in working with useful and responsible AI. Over the years of cooperation, we have acquired the necessary knowledge and experience to compete with other global regions and have created an ecosystem where we learn from each other very quickly. CitCom. “It’s getting even more functional now,” says Martin Brinskov, president and coordinator of ai and director of the DTU Community Connectivity Centre.

What is TEF?

TEFs are permanent facilities in the European Union where complex digital technologies can be tested physically and through simulation in real-world environments: from robots and artificial intelligence to network protocols, data processing and management.

The easiest way to understand what TEFs are for is to call them artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum technologies, etc. is to look at it as a kind of security filter between new digital technologies and citizens of Europe and other countries.

The original four TEFs, this filter tests these technologies in real-world environments and so-called “living labs” before they reach infrastructure, society, companies and consumers. The filter aims to transform a cutting-edge complex technology into something softer, more suitable for society and man. In good products.

“AI solution providers have the opportunity to test their products in a real environment to assess whether they meet customer needs,” says Valentina Ivanova, project coordinator of AI-Matters at TEF on Manufacturing.

“We aim to accelerate market adoption of these solutions by offering access to testing and testing infrastructure across Europe.”

This is what you would expect from any other industry, but these technologies are new, so TEFs are creating new and permanent ways to bring AI solutions to market safely and quickly.

The TEF can also be seen as the digital version of the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program) crash test system that tests the safety of vehicles today.

Four test centers address different areas

Existing TEFs cover specific areas: manufacturing, health, agriculture and food, and finally cities and communities.

• AI – Matters TEF aims to increase the resilience and flexibility of the European manufacturing sector by applying the latest advances in AI and robotics and intelligent autonomous systems for flexible manufacturing.
• TEF – Health caters to the healthcare industry, from machine learning in medical imaging to sophisticated brain modeling and robotics for intervention and rehabilitation. Its focus is on confidential health data and medical products. TEF-Health helps companies put their products on the market with the highest level of reliability and compliance with European values ​​and norms.
• AgrifoodTEF deals with agriculture and food production, which can be anything from testing a robotic tractor to using artificial intelligence to optimize crop production.
• CitCom.ai TEF is a little different. Focusing on power, mobility and connectivity, her job is to test AI and robots before they reach the places where people live and move. It can be self-driving cars, but it can also be telecommunications data collection software or a robotic tractor in a municipal park. CitCom.ai acts as a cross-domain filter between technology, infrastructure and citizens where they live.

TEF-Health’s president and coordinator, Professor Petra Ritter of the Berlin Charité Medical University and Berlin Health Institute, says: “TEF-Health will support SMEs and start-ups to bring AI innovations in healthcare and robotics to market. With 51 partners, including accredited certification bodies and metrology bodies, TEF-Health is committed to new solutions that accelerate the process of transforming innovation into reliable products that benefit patients.”

The idea is to be able to optimally depress the accelerator pedal and the brake at the same time. TEFs enable the EU to adopt the best technological solutions to achieve good competitive products without compromising public objectives.

“Today we face many challenges related to food security and climate change that no single organization can overcome. AgrifoodTEF helps bridge the gap between major innovations created by European scientists, technologists and agronomists, and solutions that deliver tangible results for the Farmer. “Real world experiments and validation services are key to promoting the application of artificial intelligence and robotics technology that enables more efficient and sustainable food production,” says Raffaele Jaffreda, agrifoodTEF coordinator at Fondazione Bruno Kessler.

In addition to being a filter to provide testing and approval as a service, TEFs will also inform policy and provide real-world feedback.

Regulators will use on-site trials and experiments, and policymakers will be able to look beyond TEF and make more informed decisions about the safe and appropriate use of AI technology. This helps create a safe, inclusive, sustainable and prosperous environment for EU citizens and the optimal opportunities for European technology providers to compete responsibly in the global market.

Four test centers will be operational by January 2024 and some services will start in July 2023. Source