Iakovina Kindylidi, Senior International Adviser, spoke at the Workshop on Auditing, Governance and Implementation of AI Systems in Public Administration, organised by Fraunhofer Portugal, on 30 January.

The workshop presented the findings of MARTA – Machine-Learning Auditing for Robust and Transparent Administration – a project funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – which focuses on developing robust auditing processes and governance best practices tailored to AI systems in the public sector.

Using as an example the 'e-Balcão Inteligente' service of the Portuguese Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária – AT), where AI models assist in classifying and responding to taxpayer inquiries, Fraunhofer Portugal conducted a technical audit centred on fairness, robustness, data quality, and human oversight, in line with the Council of Europe HUDERIA risk and impact assessment framework. These technical findings were complemented by a regulatory perspective addressing the AI Act, the data protection framework, and the specific principles of public administration, through the intervention of Iakovina Kindylidi.

Beyond this use case, MARTA’s outcomes align with the objectives of AICeBlock, an AI risk-management and governance solution developed in partnership between Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, Fraunhofer Portugal, and VdA, supporting a scalable and structured approach to responsible AI lifecycle management.

Finally, André Carreiro and Iakovina Kindylidi joined the debate on the practical challenges and common misunderstandings surrounding AI auditing in public administration, highlighting the importance of a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and human-centric approach to the development and deployment of AI systems.

'There are three key enablers for the successful adoption of AI in public administration: investing in literacy and capacity building; fostering knowledge-sharing and cooperation between organisations and multidisciplinary teams to scale best practices; and embracing regulation, auditing, and compliance as drivers of trustworthy and sustainable innovation.' - Iakovina Kindylidi.