The KI-Kompass Inklusiv project

The AI Compass Inclusive project will set up a competence center for AI-supported assistive technologies and inclusion in working life within five years (by 2027) . Opportunities for information, advice, training and participation will be developed and offered to people with disabilities and other important target groups. The aim is to involve people 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 in Germany to conduct a scientific and practice-oriented investigation into the potential of AI-supported assistance technologies for the professional participation of people with disabilities.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) from the compensation fund for supra-regional projects for the participation of severely disabled people 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 people with disabilities. The focus is on the question “Which products and which completed projects with prototypes already exist?”

The aim is to create a regularly updated database for AI-supported assistive technologies for people 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 people with disabilities for the project areas “practical laboratories” and “advice”, but 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 website in the „Technology Monitor“ (on the website in the AI knowledge section).

Für das Arbeitspaket „Monitoring“ ist das Deutsche Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz GmbH (DFKI) verantwortlich.

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

Work Package 2: Consulting & Competencies

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

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

Topics we cover range from ethical and data protection issues to the implementation and financing of artificial intelligence systems for people with disabilities.

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

Work Package 3: Practical Laboratories

In the Comptence center’s practical laboratories

sustainable solutions for the use of AI-supported assistance technologies for inclusion in the world of work are developed and tested.

The research focuses of the practice laboratories 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 people with disabilities to participate in working life
Framework conditions, structures and processes for the use of AI-supported assistance technologies in the world of work

The practical laboratories are characterized by a participatory approach . People with disabilities, employers, vocational rehabilitation facilities, researchers, technology developers, funding bodies and advisory institutions are to be actively involved in the entire process.

The Federal Association of German Vocational Training Organizations (BV BFW) is responsible for the “Practical 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 barrier-free.

As part of the participation, the focus is on establishing an advisory committee to ensure the participation of people with disabilities. As experts in their own field, they advise the project partners and continuously contribute their perspective to the project processes. This increases the quality and sustainability of the competence center’s offerings and promotes the self-determined participation of people 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 for certified translations into easy language, comprehensibility tests and usability checks.

The Federal Association of Workshops for People with Disabilities (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 that are required throughout the project process and that have the potential to negatively impact the stakeholders involved, especially people with disabilities. Given this, the ethical challenges are developed 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 assistance 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”.