Hall of Fame

Patients at home and in hospitals are at risk of developing sepsis, a life-threatening condition that can become fatal within hours. It is one of the leading cause of in-hospital death, but, its rapid development is often identifiable and preventable. With many hospitals operating with short-staffed medical departments, the symptoms can go unnoticed until it is too late.

Automated systems that remind medical staff to check patients have existed for long, but the high number of alerts have caused the staff to get fatigued and turn off these notices.

The AI-assisted algorithm developed by Bayesian Health is recognizing the signs of most likely sepsis cases and warns the staff to intervene. This has decreased the sepsis-related mortality rate in certain hospitals by as much as 18%. Given the large number of sepsis cases, this translates to saving thousands of lives. This isn’t the only technology the company has developed; according to their statement, AI-driven clinical decision support models are able to effectively monitor, tune and improve their performance over time.

We applaud Bayesian Health for their proactive, effective use of new technologies, which does not replace jobs, doesn’t steal copyrighted work, but provides long-term benefits to humans.

Dove, Unilever’s cosmetics brand doesn’t need much introduction. A leader in inclusion and equitable representation of humans in the cosmetics industry, Dove has been known for its non-traditional directions is has taken in the face of its competition for the past decades.

In 2024, Dove has pledged not to use models generated by Artificial Intelligence in its advertising, and stated that it was the first beauty brand to do so. While some might view this only as a PR stunt, given the size and popularity of the brand, this policy also carries risks for the company. Regardless of their endgame, though, the announcement has shown a leading example not only to the industry but to consumers alike, drawing attention to the prediction that in 2025, 90% of advertising will feature AI-generated models.

Dove’s fight against the homogenization of the stereotypical “beautiful” looks of human models isn’t new. But, we applaud Dove specifically for this move as it evidences not only their appreciation of human diversity, but a major step against the use of AI-generated models, with that, a clear preference of real human characters. Their re-definition of human beauty which specifically excludes Generative AI imitations is an important win against the devaluation of such elaborate, diverse and subjective concepts as “human beauty” itself.

The European Digital Rights network advances putting limits on deployments of artificial intelligence that restrict human rights.

In 2023, EDRi mobilized over 150 civil society organizations to call on the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU to put people and their fundamental rights first. Following their their Reclaim Your Face campaign, EDRi led the way in proposing solutions for the EU Artificial Intelligence Act for Fundamental Rights. Their statement can be found here. We applaud EDRi for bringing together a diverse coalition of civil rights organizations, including Amnesty International, one of the most vocal organizations speaking against the misuse of AI technologies.

We especially and strongly agree with EDRi’s proposal related to the re-classification and prevention of major risks arising from the use of AI technologies, as well as proposals related to the rights-infringing deployments of AI. We fully support EDRi’s efforts and encourage the organization to take further steps and lobby to cap the reach of governments and Big Tech businesses through AI technologies. EDRi’s role is a critical one in a privileged position, which should not only aim to protect civil rights, but increase the protection of economic and copyrights, and as an extension of that, our cultural heritage – in an equitable manner. The resulting resolutions must be also enforceable in order to prevent large tech companies to outspend their way from newly regulated positions.

We see the AI-relevant parts of EDRi’s mission as a leading example of a human-focused approach, which all nations and communities around the world should urgently follow.