The new application, available on the APDCAT website, facilitates compliance with the Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AIR) for systems posing a high risk to citizens, a requirement that will be in effect from 2027. This tool digitizes the Catalan FRIA model, promoted by APDCAT and developed within the ‘DPD en xarxa’ community, with the support of expert Alessandro Mantelero.
The launch event was attended by APDCAT Director Meritxell Borràs i Solé, researcher Àtia Cortés Martínez from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and Director of the UAB Cruïlla Chair, Fernando Vilariño Freire. Borràs highlighted the significance of the FRIA tool as a pioneering project by APDCAT, born from collaboration with data protection officers and placing individuals at the center of technological innovation.
Cortés Martínez presented the BSC AI Factory project, focused on accelerating AI innovation for SMEs, start-ups, and public administration, including a Trustworthy AI service to diagnose issues of transparency, accountability, and bias. Vilariño Freire explained how the FRIA model was practically validated at the Cruïlla Festival in Barcelona, using a generative AI prototype to demonstrate the fundamental rights impact assessment to the public.
The application allows for determining the planning and scope of the project to be assessed, selecting affected fundamental rights, analyzing implemented controls, and evaluating potential impacts. In a second phase, it enables the establishment of concrete measures to mitigate risks and re-evaluate residual risk, with downloadable PDF results. The tool is free and available in Catalan, Spanish, and English.
This is the third application developed by APDCAT to offer practical tools for compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Regulation. Previously, it had renewed the DPIA application and offered the RAT application for the record of processing activities.
