Get to know AIthena consortium partners – FIA Region I

This week we introduce next AIthena consortium partner: FIA Region I

Founded in 1904, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) brings together leading national motoring organisations from 146 countries worldwide and is the governing body for world motor sport.

The FIA Region I office, based in Brussels, is a consumer body comprising 100 Mobility Clubs that represent over 40 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The FIA Region I office aims at:

  • Providing strong representation of European Member Club interests towards the European Union institutions – for example on road safety, connecting vehicles, consumer protection, environmental protection, and the promotion of sustainable motoring.
  • Building links and support the exchange of best practices between our Member Clubs across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
  • Engaging in new campaign activities and EU-funded projects together with Automobile Clubs throughout the region.

What is the role of the FIA Region I and the team in the project?

FIA Region I is leading the AIthena IMPACT activities (Exploitation, Dissemination and Standardisation), monitoring the project’s progress and coordinating the activities with all consortium partners when it comes to external awareness of the project. We also bring the user perspective and contribute to work that establishes a methodology for the development of Artificial Intelligence with a human-centric approach and the validation of activities in the project.

What are you currently working on in the project?

During the first year of AIthena, we have created tools and guidelines for establishing visibility for the project’s outputs, and regularly exchange with Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) stakeholders’ community.

Recently, we have started preparing work plans for educating end users about the four use cases (UCs) developed in the project: UC 1 – Perception; UC – 2 Understanding; UC – 3 Decision making; and UC – 4 Traffic management.

Together with partners, we will implement an information campaign focused on the AIthena project’s use cases and promote the advantages of XAI (Explainable Artificial Intelligence) in Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility for users. The information campaign will be implemented on AIthena social media channels, website, and supported by all consortium partners. The content (a dedicated page on AIthena website, posts with visuals and videos on social media) will be mainly focused on presenting the different use cases, their approach, and scenarios in the project.

From your perspective, how do you see the contribution of the AIthena project to building trustworthy, explainable, and accountable AI-based CCAM?

The FIA Region I recognizes the significant potential of AI in advancing the field of CCAM. AI technologies offer promising solutions to enhance road safety, optimize traffic flow, and improve overall transportation efficiency. By leveraging AI algorithms, CCAM systems can better interpret complex traffic scenarios, predict potential hazards, and adaptively respond to dynamic driving conditions. Moreover, AI-driven automation holds the key to unlocking transformative advancements such as autonomous vehicles, which have the potential to revolutionize mobility by reducing accidents, congestion, and environmental impact.

However, the FIA Region I underscores the importance of ensuring that AI applications in CCAM prioritize safety, privacy, and ethical considerations. Additionally, fostering collaboration between industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers is crucial to addressing regulatory challenges, promoting innovation, and maximizing the societal benefits of AI-enabled CCAM solutions; we believe that the AIthena project is a step forward in this direction.

You can read more about the FIA Region I at FIA Region I – Home (fiaregion1.com) and about the FIA at Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (fia.com).