On March 25, MEDAIGENCY held its first Ethics Advisory Board Meeting, bringing together a diverse group of international experts to support the responsible development of the project’s future AI-powered solutions for health emergencies.
The Ethics Advisory Board is a key part of MEDAIGENCY’s participatory approach. It was established to ensure that ethical considerations remain central throughout the project, from the design of future solutions to their piloting, adoption, and long-term integration into national systems.
The Board brings together expertise from a wide range of fields relevant to the project. Members include Prof. Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, whose work focuses on AI governance and ethics across academia, policy, and international institutions; Prof. Mary-Anne Hartley, whose work centers on AI-driven health technologies in low-resource settings; Prof. Hanna Kienzler, who brings expertise on conflict, violence, displacement, and mental health; and Dr. Cansu Canca, whose work focuses on integrating ethics into AI design and governance.
This diversity is important because MEDAIGENCY aims to develop solutions that are not only innovative, but also practical, inclusive, and adapted to the realities of different Mediterranean contexts.
The meeting marked an important first step in shaping how ethics will be integrated across the project. A shared understanding was established around the importance of keeping future solutions grounded in real-world needs and ensuring that they remain transparent, safe, and accessible for the institutions and communities that will use them.
Several key priorities also emerged from the meeting. These included ensuring that future solutions remain understandable and easy to use, considering different local realities and levels of digital literacy, and paying closer attention to who may benefit from the solutions and who could potentially be left behind.
The meeting also reinforced the importance of maintaining a strong human role in the use of AI. Rather than replacing people, AI should support decision-making, strengthen preparedness, and help institutions respond more effectively during emergencies.
Another important outcome was the need to strengthen ethical reflection throughout the full project lifecycle, including the future development, testing, training, and adoption of solutions. This includes paying greater attention to potential risks, unintended consequences, and the wider social impact of AI-powered systems.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to connect more closely with Board members, exchange perspectives, and establish a common vision for how the Ethics Advisory Board can support the project over the coming years.
As the project progresses, the Ethics Advisory Board will continue to meet regularly and provide guidance at key milestones. By bringing together independent expertise from different fields and regions, the Ethics Advisory Board will help ensure that MEDAIGENCY remains grounded in responsibility, practicality, and the realities of the communities it aims to support.
Next Med
