CIVICA Workshop

Preserving Public Values in Privatised Digital Systems

The LSE Law School will host the third and final workshop for this CIVICA-funded project ‘DigiPublicValues: Preserving Public Values in Privatised Digital Systems’. The project, led by Orla Lynskey and Giulia Gentile (LSE Law School), brings together academic partners at the EUI Law School (led by Prof. Deirdre Curtin), the Department of Legal Studies at Bocconi (led by Prof. Oreste Pollicino) and the Centre for Digital Governance at the Hertie School (led by Prof. Gerhard Hammerschmid). The aim of the project is to examine the ways in which the State is cooperating with, and dependent upon, private actors for the provision of digitised public services and to identify the impact this relationship has on public values. It examines this through three case studies focusing on the use of automation and AI in justice (Italy and England), education (England) and migration and asylum (EU).

One of the key themes that has emerged in earlier workshops is the often informal and liminal way in which these public-private relationships emerge, in contrast to the more defined partnerships envisaged by procurement law and public law delegation procedures.

During the final workshop at the LSE, the group will hear from Prof Albert Sanchez-Graells (University of Bristol Law School) about his research on the public procurement of AI systems. It will also consolidate its existing findings, considering how identified public values may be used to articulate guiding principles for policy makers when digitising public services in conjunction with private actors.

Workshop Agenda

08.45 – 09.00
Welcome and (re)introduction to DigiPublicValues

09.00 – 10.15
Session 1: Prof. Albert Sanchez-Graells on AI and Procurement

10.15 – 10.45
Break

10.45 – 11.10
Session 2: Update on Key Findings of Literature Review (Hertie)

11.10 – 12..30
Session 2 (Principles I): Publicness and Participation

12.30 – 13.45
Lunch Break

13.45 – 15.15
Session 3 (Principles II): Public Accountability & Transparency and Proportionality

15.15 – 15.45
Break

15.45 –  16.30
Session 4: Synthesis and Future Direction