Join Us for an Interactive Policy Workshop: Ethical AI in Local Governance – Opportunities and Safeguards for Communities

In an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how municipalities deliver services and make decisions, ALDA’s Digital & Innovation Hub is proud to host this interactive online workshop. It forms part of the pan-European All Digital Weeks 2026 campaign (9-25 March), co-funded by the European Commission and focused on “Digital well-being for a competitive Europe”—emphasizing ethical, human-centric AI, inclusion, and responsible digital engagement for society, work, and learning.

Date & Time: March 24, 2026, 11:00 AM CET (90 minutes)
Format: Online (via Zoom or similar platform – link provided upon registration)
Participant Limit: Up to 30 for an interactive experience
Registration: Register here (Free, but spots are limited – sign up today!)

AI is already embedded in everyday local governance—from social service eligibility screening and predictive risk assessments to AI chatbots for citizen interactions and urban planning tools. These innovations offer efficiency and inclusion but also pose risks to equality, transparency, accountability, and democratic legitimacy. As local governments act as guardians of democratic principles in the digital age, this workshop provides a structured space to assess AI deployments through an ethical and governance lens.
This session builds on ALDA’s ongoing work (including collaborations with partners like the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law – ECNL) and contributes to All Digital Weeks’ core themes of responsible AI and digital well-being.
Agenda Highlights:

• Strategic Framing: Expert input on real-world AI use cases in social services, public safety, citizen interaction, public finance, and urban governance. Explore democratic risks like bias, opacity, vendor dependency, and accountability gaps—framing the key question: When AI influences public decisions, who remains accountable?
• Policy Simulation: Simulation of “Municipal Ethics Council” to analyze a specific AI case, identifying benefits, ethical/democratic risks, required human oversight, and non-automatable functions.
• Plenary Deliberation: Share insights, synthesize recurring dilemmas, and build consensus on safeguards for transparency, inclusion, and democratic resilience.
  Expected Outcomes: Participants will gain practical understanding of AI in local contexts, enhanced skills to evaluate ethical risks, and tools for responsible digital transformation—aligning with the EU AI Act and broader European debates on ethical tech in public administration.

Whether you’re a policymaker, municipal staff, CSO representative, or governance practitioner, join us to shape AI that serves communities without undermining democracy.
For more details or to collaborate, contact Aladdin Alrifai at aladdin@alda-europe.eu. Stay tuned for updates on our Digital & Innovation Hub page and follow #AllDigitalWeeks #ADweeks2026 #EthicalAI #DigitalWellbeing.