The Project ‘KI-Kompass Inklusiv’

The KI-Kompass Inklusiv project (in English: AI Compass Inclusive) will establish a competence center for AI-supported assistance technologies and inclusion in working life within five years (by 2027). The project will develop information, consulting, training and participation relevant to persons with disabilities and other important target groups. The aim is to involve persons with disabilities in the digital transformation and in the potential of artificial intelligence.

The four project partners are building on the work in the previous project KI.ASSIST (2019-2022). KI.ASSIST was the first project in Germany to conduct a scientific and practice-oriented investigation into the potential of AI-supported assistance technologies for the professional participation of persons with disabilities.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) through resources from the compensation fund for supraregional initiatives aimed at promoting the participation of severely disabled persons in working life.

The project areas, the so-called work packages, are described below.

Work Package 1: Monitoring AI-supported assistive technologies

The monitoring examines the current status of developments in AI-supported assistance technologies for the professional participation of persons with disabilities. The focus is on the question “Which products and completed projects with prototypes already exist?”

The aim is to create a regularly updated database for AI-supported assistance technologies for persons with disabilities. This database provides well-founded, up-to-date data on the status of developments and the availability and feasibility of AI-supported assistive technologies for persons with disabilities for the project areas “practice laboratories” and “consulting”, and also for the project’s target groups. The contents of this database will be made accessible to the project’s target groups and stakeholders via the „Technology Monitor“ on the German website (in German only).

The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH (DFKI) is responsible for the “Monitoring” work package.

Work Package 2: Consulting & Competencies

The project pillar “Consulting & Competencies” aims to implement a comprehensive range of advice, information, qualification and networking services for persons with disabilities, vocational rehabilitation specialists and companies. We focus on promoting skills, providing information and linking offers for AI-supported assistance systems in vocational rehabilitation and the general labor market.

Our consultations, events, seminars, training courses and workshops (see the Offers section on the English website), as well as a knowledge pool on the subject of inclusion & AI on the website (see AI Knowledge section on the English website) offer targeted information on AI-supported assistance technologies in the world of work. This incorporates findings from the previous project KI.ASSIST and current surveys.

Our topics range from ethical and data protection issues to the implementation and financing of artificial intelligence systems for persons with disabilities.

The Federal Association of Vocational Training Centers (BAG BBW) is responsible for the “Consulting” work package.

Work Package 3: Practice Laboratories

In the Competence Center’s practice laboratories (see Practice Labs section on English website), sustainable solutions for using AI-supported assistance technologies to promote inclusion in the world of work are developed and tested.

The research focuses of the practice labs are:

Application scenarios of AI-supported assistance technologies in workplace settings of the general labor market
Research and development of AI-supported assistive technologies for professional participation
Needs-based technology development for persons with disabilities to participate in working life
Framework conditions, structures and processes for the use of AI-supported assistive technologies in the world of work

The practice labs are characterized by a participatory approach. Persons with disabilities, employers, vocational rehabilitation facilities, researchers, technology developers, funding bodies, and advisory institutions should be actively involved throughout the process.

The German Federal Association of Vocational Rehabilitation Centers (BV BFW) is responsible for the “Practice Laboratories” work package.

Work Package 4: Participation and Accessibility

The work package “Participation and Accessibility” aims to make the KI-Kompass project processes inclusive, participatory and accessible.

Participation focuses on the establishment of an advisory committee to ensure the involvement of persons with disabilities. As experts on their own behalf, they advise the project partners and continuously contribute their perspectives to the project processes. This increases the quality and sustainability of the competence center’s offerings and promotes the self-determined participation of persons with disabilities in working life and vocational training.

In addition, accessibility is guaranteed in all areas and processes of the project, thus ensuring that the services developed by the competence center are designed to be as accessible as possible. External experts are also brought in for this purpose, including certified translations into easy language, comprehensibility tests and usability checks.

The Federal Association of Sheltered Workshops (BAG WfbM) is responsible for the work package “Participation and Accessibility”.

Work Package 5: Ethics and Data Protection

The project also works on the topics of ethics and data protection. Data protection requirements are checked and implemented in all project areas and work. In addition, ethical issues are addressed in the project and prepared for the project’s stakeholders.

This work package places particular emphasis on aspects of data ethics. Data ethics assesses the collection, generation, analysis and distribution of data required throughout the project process and that have the potential to negatively impact the stakeholders involved, especially persons with disabilities. Given this, the ethical challenges involved are explored in an interdisciplinary collaboration.

Another goal of this project is to create a knowledge pool on the topic of AI, ethics and inclusion, in which interested parties can learn about the ethical use of AI-supported assistive systems in the world of work.

The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH (DFKI) is responsible for the work package “Ethics and Data Protection”.