AI4Citizens

The AI4Citizens project explores the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption in the public sector. Funded by the Interreg Europe program, the project runs from 2024 to 2028.

Responsible AI as part of the city's future and people's daily lives

The project aims to deepen the understanding of AI’s potential in city and regional development. AI can enhance public services, productivity, and administrative efficiency. It's crucial to address risks related to security, ethics, and trust. Cities and regions must ensure the entire society participates and prepares for this significant transformation.

Through AI4Citizens, we will learn from others' good practices and develop new approaches together. In addition to Tampere, six other European cities and regional authorities participate: Amsterdam, Bacau, Bucharest, Helsinki, Piemonte, and Riga. Tampere leads the project while developing its own AI governance model, preparing for the obligations of the European AI Act (AIA).

The project identifies and creates good practices and new solutions with the city's organization, supporting interregional knowledge exchange and co-creation. The goal is to help local and regional decision-makers improve and establish models that promote the safe and ethical use of AI in the public sector, particularly in local and regional governance, thereby increasing well-being and regional vitality.

How does the project start?

The project compiles the knowledge already gained within the city organization about data-driven management, AI usage, and identified issues. Based on this accumulated knowledge and know-how, the project ensures continued development and creates future guidelines.

The AI4Citizens project doesn’t build a new “kingdom” but integrates into all the city's development activities: for example, digital transformation, smart city initiatives, IT expertise, and different service areas.

The project seeks to enable open dialogue and offer opportunities for citizens to participate. We will attend various events to facilitate discussions. In the early stages, the target groups include especially children, youth, immigrants, and the elderly.

The topic is new, and no one can tackle it alone. AI can foster collaboration between internal sectors within the city, and we can learn from the cities and regions involved in the project. Cooperation at all levels is essential.

“In future Tampere, we all have sufficient AI literacy.”