The year 2023 has witnessed the rapid rise of generative AI technologies and the first global AI Safety Summit hosted by the UK government at Bletchley Park. Amidst this unprecedented change, debates about data, AI algorithmic processing, and their impacts on national safety, citizen healthcare, and career and education opportunities have intensified like never before.

The goal of the EWADA project is to develop new technical and legal infrastructures that enable more equitable and ethical experiences for users. Following two successful years of foundational technology development, the third year has seen the refinement of privacy-preserving AI applications, the implementation of a protocol and schema for users’ data terms of use, and an ongoin large-scale, cross-cultural study on users’ values regarding data autonomy.

Additionally, multiple studies have been conducted with specific user groups, such as social media users, health trackers, and children. Seven new prototypes were produced to develop capabilities in areas like personal data queries, children’s data autonomy, new ways of social interactions and personal health tracking.

These technical explorations allow us to delve deeply into the open challenges related to scalability, trade-off between ethical computing and utility, and barriers for users to opt for ethical alternatives. Against the backdrop of generative AI (genAI) development, which has intensified concerns over data privacy, fairness, and control over personal information, EWADA’s work offers critical inputs in creating user-centred, transparent frameworks for enabling ethical AI interactions. This is particularly relevant as genAI’s rapid adoption raises pressing questions about user consent, data rights, and the ethical use of personal information in automated systems.

Our research so far has shown that users, including children, generally welcome the data autonomy and control provided by EWADA and Solid. However, challenges remain, especially in supporting users in exercising data autonomy, helping users navigate decentralised data governance models like data trust or data commons, and addressing new issues arising from genAI adoption.

Beyond the project development, our team has made significant policy impacts through our involvement in the Data Bill revision and various national reports on Data Governance, contributing to the national conversation about the new need for better data governance and infrastructure, especially in the context of several national emergencies and new legislation developments.

We have also seen increased leadership from our early-career researchers, engaging with various communities, including industry, partner projects, and open-source communities. These impact deliveries led to a flurry of successful grant applications, ranging from small bids awarded to individual researchers to larger grants for full student scholarships and follow-up research. It has been particularly pleasant to see the undertaking of Solid stewardship by the Open Data Institutue, a cornerstone development for both the project and the community.

Building on our successful progress, in the coming year, our team aims to make further strides in:

• Promoting our capability of delivering ethical computing applications to key stakeholders
• Assessing our technical capabilities in the context of emerging genAI technologies
• Enhancing the capability of data accountability and its ease of use for users.
• Informing national and global policies on data autonomy and governance

For further information, please see all our 2024 publications and new code bases.