JADS and Deloitte Partner to Establish Research Lab Focused on trustworthy AI software systems

Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS), an institute providing innovative educational programs, research, and support for business and society in the field of data science, and Deloitte, a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services, have partnered to establish a research lab focused on auditing for trustworthy AI software systems.

SAFEGUARD LAB
The new SAFEGUARD lab, part of the ROBUST AI program, will explore, develop and validate novel auditing theories, tools, and methodologies to monitor and audit whether AI applications adhere in terms of fairness, explainability, transparency, robustness and reliability, respect of privacy, and safety and security. The lab will have 5 PhD positions initially, to be expanded later.

The SAFEGUARD Lab will do research in multiple areas, such as assessing bias in AI and finding ways to make AI explainable and transparent. Researchers will also develop tools to ensure accountability and reliability through audits and prototypes. Lastly, they will create an experimental toolchain to test AI software with machine-learning and continuous testing techniques as part of a DevOps pipeline. The Lab will start in the fall of 2023.

Robust AI
The SAFEGUARD lab is part of the ROBUST AI program, a new initiative by the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI), supported by the University of Amsterdam and 51 government, industry and knowledge-sector partners. The program aims to strengthen the Dutch artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem by boosting fundamental AI research.