iRead4Skills Open Sessions bring ethical AI and adult literacy into focus in Santiago de Compostela
On 16 July 2025, the iRead4Skills consortium hosted a set of Open Sessions at CiTIUS – Research Centre in Intelligent Technologies, University of Santiago de Compostela. The event welcomed a broad audience, with over 200 participants joining online and 46 attending in person, reflecting strong interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence, ethics, and adult education.
The programme was designed to encourage dialogue between research, practice, and policy. It began with a comprehensive presentation of the iRead4Skills project, followed by the session Ethical AI: Balancing Innovation and Responsibility in High-Performance Systems, delivered by Marcos Garcia (USC) and Ulises Cortés (UPC/BSC). Their contributions addressed the ethical frameworks required to guide AI development, particularly in sensitive areas such as education and skills assessment.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to practical implementation. Luís Correia (Mindshaker) presented iRead4Skills in Practice: Showcasing System Capabilities, offering a detailed walkthrough of the platform’s functionalities and its potential to support adult learning professionals. The day concluded with Insights from PIAAC: Ethical Challenges in Adult Education and Literacy Assessment, presented by João Queirós (OECD/PIAAC), who highlighted critical issues related to data ethics and international assessment standards.
Throughout the sessions, a clear message emerged: aligning AI-driven innovation with ethical responsibility is essential for creating meaningful, inclusive solutions in the field of adult education.
The Open Sessions marked a significant milestone in the project’s public outreach and affirmed its commitment to ensuring that technology serves the real needs of adult learners across Europe.
