Ensuring Compliance and Impact: Privanova’s Role in the IAMI Project

Privanova is a key partner in the IAMI Project, ensuring compliance with ethics, privacy, and data protection frameworks during the course of the project. The IAMI Project aims to revolutionise entity identification and resolution in contexts of security, intelligence, and investigation. It addresses the challenges and limitations faced by current identification techniques and offers a visionary solution through advanced AI-powered software. The project's long-term vision is to propel EU LEAs and security/intelligence organisations into a new era of intelligence, investigation, and forensic capabilities.

IAMI's core innovation is the development of an AI-powered software system that can seamlessly integrate with existing case management systems and analytical tools. At the heart of IAMI is the concept of the 'Identity-Attributes-Matrix (IAM),' a 3D construct that encompasses a broad spectrum of multi-modal identity-related attributes, including biometric data, non-biometric identity-related data, and analytical results. These attributes facilitate large-scale entity identification and resolution, covering a broader range of entity types, enabling simultaneous and rapid multi-entity identification, supporting systematic and continuous analysis of probe attributes, enhancing confidence in noisy or corrupted probe data, reducing false positive rates, granting access to contact attributes, and enabling the classification of fake identities, bots, and avatars.

Ethics and Compliance

Privanova leads the task of establishing an Ethics Advisory Board to accompany and advise on the project’s progress. Experts are brought on board to ensure that the project meets compliance standards. The board meets regularly to discuss progress, questions, and activities concerning ethics. Additionally, it serves as a guide for members of the consortium. Together with other partners, Privanova co-leads the tasks of reviewing compliance and conducting risk assessments for AI development and training, in alignment with EU laws, values, and fundamental principles.

Data management

Privanova also leads the establishment and maintenance of the project’s Data Management Plan. This is a comprehensive, living document developed with contributions from consortium partners and serves as a cornerstone for mapping data collection, usage, and storage. It governs the processing of data throughout the entire duration of the project. The document is regularly updated by consortium members and aims to ensure continuity and sustainability beyond the project’s lifetime.

Privanova's Leadership in Project Exploitation and Synergistic Collaboration

Privanova will also lead two key initiatives to ensure the project’s sustained impact and successful transition to operational use. In collaboration with all partners, Privanova will develop a strategy for the exploitation of the project’s results, specifically the IAMI system. This strategy will outline the necessary steps for European Law Enforcement Agencies, security and intelligence agencies, EUROPOL, and INTERPOL to implement the IAMI system operationally, ensuring its continued adoption and expansion at both national and EU levels beyond the project’s conclusion. Additionally, Privanova will spearhead efforts to identify and foster synergies with relevant Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects. This will involve clustering with these projects, organising collaborative meetings, and planning joint dissemination activities to maximise the project’s reach and impact.

Challenges

Tasks related to project exploitation and collaboration are essential for IAMI’s success but also bring several challenges. Creating a plan to put the system into real use means working with many different law enforcement and security agencies across Europe, each with its own rules, systems, and procedures. This calls for a flexible strategy and regular communication with all involved.

Getting the system to work smoothly across these organisations requires careful planning and active engagement. At the same time, working with other Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects adds another layer of complexity, as their goals, timelines, and methods may differ. Coordinating joint efforts and avoiding overlap takes strong communication and collaboration.

Long-term use of the IAMI system after the project ends also brings challenges. The system will need regular updates, ongoing legal compliance, and the ability to adapt to new threats and technologies. It’s also important to provide proper training and support to help agencies use the system effectively. Securing long-term funding and backing from institutions will be key to ensuring the system remains useful and impactful in the future.

Moving forward

The IAMI project aims to transform how entities are identified using advanced AI. To achieve this, it needs a careful balance between innovation, ethics, and real-world application. Privanova plays a key role in making this happen by ensuring the project follows ethical guidelines, handles data responsibly, and is ready for practical use.

Privanova leads the creation of the project’s Data Management Plan, which helps keep data safe, compliant, and transparent throughout the project. It also set up the Ethics Advisory Board, making sure the project respects EU laws and values.

In addition, Privanova is developing a plan to make the IAMI system usable in the long term and is building connections with other Horizon projects to share knowledge and increase impact. While this work involves many different organisations and can be complex, it’s crucial for turning research into real solutions for law enforcement and security agencies.