Addressing the impact of artificial intelligence, cyberviolence, and deepfakes on equality, democracy and inclusive societies

The EU funding opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-04 falls under the Horizon Europe program, specifically designed to address the impact of artificial intelligence, cyberviolence, and deepfakes on equality, democracy, and inclusive societies. With a total budget of €20 million, the initiative anticipates awarding around five grants, each ranging from €3.5 million to €4 million. The call for proposals opens on May 13, 2027, and applications are due by September 23, 2027, with a single-stage submission process.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of organizations such as universities, research institutions, public research bodies, private companies, NGOs, and civil society organizations, especially those focusing on digital rights and democracy. The project aims to explore the intersection of AI technologies and democratic processes, focusing on preventing and mitigating AI-related threats, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The funding type is a lump sum grant, designed to simplify financial management by providing a pre-determined amount to recipients who meet the project requirements. Applicants must collaborate in consortia, integrating varied expertise from fields like technology, social sciences, and legal studies, to achieve comprehensive research outcomes. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary cooperation in understanding, developing policy frameworks, and increasing public awareness surrounding AI's implications on society.

The geographic eligibility aligns with Horizon Europe's standard rules, primarily targeting EU Member States and associated countries while allowing for participation from non-EU countries under specific agreements. The selected projects are expected to advance knowledge on AI's impact on democratic integrity and social inequalities, contributing to the ethical governance of AI technologies consistent with EU regulations.

The success rate for proposals is estimated to range between 10 and 20 percent, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the grants. With no co-funding requirement stated, the financial aspect is primarily focused on grant funding.

Overall, this funding call seeks to foster impactful research that not only provides insights into AI risks but also delivers practical solutions for the ethical governance of technologies, thereby reinforcing democratic values and societal cohesion in Europe.

This EU funding opportunity, HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-04, falls under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society call for 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01). It is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The deadline model is single-stage, with a planned opening date of 13 May 2027 and a deadline of 23 September 2027 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The project aims to address the impact of artificial intelligence, cyberviolence, and deepfakes on equality, democracy, and inclusive societies. The total budget for the topic is 20,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants is 5, with contributions ranging from 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 EUR.

The expected outcomes of funded projects include:

Enhanced understanding of the impact of AI-driven technologies, including AI-generated deepfakes and automated content generation, on equality, political participation, democratic processes, public trust, and social cohesion, with evidence-based insights into their role in mitigating or exacerbating disparities.

Uptake of evidence-based policy frameworks for responsible, trustworthy, and transparent AI governance, integrating ethical, legal, and societal considerations to safeguard fundamental rights, mitigate risks of disinformation, and ensure fair and safe AI deployment, in line with the obligations set out in the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence.

Increased public awareness and media literacy to empower citizens to identify and critically assess disinformation, use of deepfakes for malicious purpose, and online harm, alongside the uptake of evidence-based tools for preventing, detecting, and mitigating these harms.

Strengthened capacity of academic institutions to conduct societally relevant AI research and drive the development of trustworthy, ethical AI models, enabled by increased academia-industry collaboration and better access to computing infrastructure, high-quality datasets, collaborative tools, and funding.

The scope of the project includes:

Addressing the malicious use of AI, such as AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes, and cyberviolence, as well as the unintentional societal consequences, such as algorithmic opacity and amplification of bias.

Examining AI's role in media influence and public trust, particularly the impact of AI-generated or manipulated content on cyberviolence and democratic processes.

Exploring how AI-driven technologies may exacerbate or mitigate inequalities and discriminations based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, age, and disability.

Analyzing the risks these technologies pose to democratic integrity, particularly through the manipulation of public opinion, electoral processes, and governance systems.

Investigating how cyberviolence is exacerbated by sharing manipulated content like deepfakes, deep nudes, and AI-driven sextortion on online platforms.

Researching policy and concrete practices that can effectively address the challenges posed by AI technologies, taking into consideration the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence.

Considering AI’s use and impact on young people, particularly the biases within AI-generated or manipulated content.

Focusing on interdisciplinary research on AI’s role in societal resilience, countering misinformation and disinformation, enhancing civic engagement, and supporting marginalized communities.

The project should contribute to the EU’s broader AI strategy, supporting the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act and aligning with the EU’s Political Guidelines for 2024-2029, as well as other EU legislative frameworks such as the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence and the Digital Services Act.

The general conditions for this funding opportunity include:

Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions: The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium with zero funding or as an associated partner, but will not participate in proposal preparation and submission. Subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants: The granting authority may object to a transfer of ownership or exclusive licensing of results up to 4 years after the action's end. Eligible costs will be in the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are as described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

The application and evaluation forms, model grant agreement (MGA), and additional documents are available in the Submission System and include:

Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)

HE Programme Guide

Lump Sum MGA

Detailed budget table (HE LS)

Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"

HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, and 15. General Annexes

HE Framework Programme 2021/695

HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764

EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509

Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Terms and Conditions, and Privacy Statement

Partner search announcements are available for finding collaborators.

This funding opportunity seeks to address the multifaceted challenges posed by the rapid advancement and deployment of AI technologies, particularly their malicious use and unintentional societal consequences. It aims to foster research and innovation that will contribute to a deeper understanding of AI's impact on democracy, equality, and social inclusion, while also promoting the development of ethical and trustworthy AI governance frameworks. The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of practical tools and methodologies for mitigating the risks associated with AI, deepfakes, and cyberviolence, ultimately empowering citizens and safeguarding democratic values.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), the eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a member of the consortium.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). The specific financial mechanism is a lump sum grant, as indicated by the "HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]" designation. Innovation Actions (IA) are also listed.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium, as the Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium. Partner search announcements are available, implying that multiple partners are expected.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, and a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: artificial intelligence (AI), democracy, equality, social inclusion, media literacy, cybersecurity, and technology. It also touches upon areas like political participation, governance, ethics, law, sociology, psychology, gender studies, and innovation in public governance.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity falls under the Horizon Europe program, implying eligibility for EU member states and associated countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on research and innovation actions, suggesting projects should be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration phases. The presence of Innovation Actions suggests that projects closer to demonstration and commercialization are also relevant.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic and type of action:
HORIZON-CSA: Contributions range from €3,000,000 to €5,000,000.
HORIZON-RIA: Contributions range from €2,500,000 to €4,800,000.
HORIZON-IA: Contributions range from €3,000,000 to €3,750,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants to support research and innovation actions.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage, as indicated by the "single-stage" deadline model.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate. For example, a topic with a budget of €20,000,000 and an indicative number of 5 grants suggests a higher likelihood of success compared to a topic with a similar budget but fewer grants.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, Horizon Europe typically funds a significant portion of project costs, implying that co-funding may not be mandatory but could strengthen a proposal.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society program, focuses on addressing the multifaceted impacts of artificial intelligence, cyberviolence, and deepfakes on democracy, equality, and social inclusion. The call invites proposals for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to enhance understanding, develop policy frameworks, increase public awareness, and strengthen academic capacity in the face of AI-driven challenges. Projects should aim to contribute to evidence-based policy, ethical AI deployment, media literacy, and societal resilience. The funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the application process involves a single stage. Consortia are expected, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) is encouraged to participate. The call targets a wide range of sectors, including AI, democracy, cybersecurity, technology, and social sciences, with a focus on EU member states and associated countries, as well as specific provisions for non-EU countries.