ESR Fatma S. Doğan at The Young Digital Law Conference 2023

ESR Fatma S. Doğan participated in The Young Digital Law Conference 2023 between 5th-7th July. The conference was organized by the University of Vienna, Department of Innovation and Digitalisation in Law and the Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices Department of Innovation and Digitalisation in Law, and the Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices. Fatma presented her study titled “Digital Discrimination in Healthcare and European Health Data Space Proposal”.

The emerging point of this study comes from technological developments in the medical sphere with the increasing use of AI technologies. Although these enhancements look highly promising, bias in these systems and related outcomes poses a prominent caveat. In her study, Fatma sought the question of ‘how does recently proposed European legislations plan to tackle this problem while putting a specific focus on the European Health Data Space proposal’. The European Health Data Space proposal was introduced last year with aiming to harmonize electronic health data systems of Member States and enable secondary use of health data for new technological developments. The proposal has numerous provisions related to AI systems yet would they bring a solution to bias-related issues in healthcare is open to discussion. Due to the reference to the AI Act proposal, Fatma also included the relevant provisions of the AI Act in the discussion.

The conference was filled with insightful talks and engaging keynote addresses. At the end of the third day of the conference, the final panel took place at the Austrian Supreme Court, which allowed young researchers to witness the incredible atmosphere of the Supreme Court. Fatma also had the opportunity to receive valuable comments and thought-stimulating questions following her presentation.