Final LeADS Event at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna

 The final event of the LeADS project took place at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, bringing together the 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) for a memorable conclusion. Over three days of dynamic activities and intellectual exchange, the event featured an Innovation Challenge, a thought-provoking conference titled “Legally Compliant Data-Driven Society,” and a Poster Walk showcasing research across the four Crossroads of the LeADS project.

 

The Innovation Challenge: AI Act Compass: Navigating Requirements for High-Risk AI Systems

As part of the LeADS project’s final event, an Innovation Challenge was held in collaboration with the Pisa Internet Festival to address the complexities of the AI Act. The challenge aimed to inspire participants to develop practical solutions to help AI developers and deployers navigate the AI Act’s risk classification system and understand the specific requirements applicable to their AI systems.

The competition was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, held remotely, teams submitted mock-ups demonstrating how their solutions could simplify compliance with the AI Act. The second phase took place in person in Pisa, where teams refined their solutions to address a real-world scenario and presented their proposals to a jury.

The scenario centered around SmartBytes, a startup developing an AI-powered algorithm called CyrcAIdian to monitor sleep patterns, which faced critical compliance challenges under the new AI Act. Participants were tasked with determining how CyrcAIdian’s classification—either as a fitness tracker or a medical device—would influence its regulatory obligations and commercialization strategy.

The challenge fostered innovative thinking and awarded cash prizes for solutions that were not only practical and user-friendly but also legally robust, with a focus on helping businesses navigate the  complexities of AI regulations.

The Innovation Challenge culminated in an exciting afternoon of presentations, where participating teams showcased their creative approaches to tackling the AI compliance scenario. It was a day marked by energy, collaboration, and healthy competition. Each team brought forward unique and innovative solutions, making the jury’s decision exceptionally difficult.

Ultimately, The Data Jurists claimed first prize and also received the special award for the Most Innovative Solution. The AI-Act Navigators secured second place, while The AI-WARE team came in third. The award for Best Presentation went to AI-Renella.

Congratulations to all the participants for their outstanding efforts!