EEA joins Norwegian-funded AI LEARN project to advance human-centred AI

AI is transforming the way we learn, work, live, and understand ourselves and others, reshaping human interactions and societal structures. The rapid pace of AI development presents both opportunities and challenges, requiring societies to adapt responsibly to emerging socio-technical and socio-political disruptions.

Human-AI interactions where we co-learn, co-work, co-create, co-lead, are becoming a cultural condition having a profound and far-reaching impact on educational institutions, workplaces, and society at large. The AI Centre for the Empowerment of Human Learning (AI LEARN) is an interdisciplinary and intersectoral effort dedicated to understanding and shaping the human dimensions of AI interaction and adoption for sustainable, inclusive & responsible integration across both public and private sectors and for all citizens.

The European EdTech Alliance has officially joined the AI LEARN project, a major research initiative funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project brings together 35 partners and a growing number of associated partners from across academia, industry, public institutions, and civil society to explore how artificial intelligence can be developed and implemented in ways that serve human and societal needs.

The EEA attended the AI LEARN kick-off meeting in Bergen on 10–11 March 2026, where stakeholders from multiple sectors gathered to launch the collaboration and outline the project’s strategic direction.

AI LEARN addresses several pressing questions shaping the future of artificial intelligence: How can AI systems be aligned with human values and democratic societies? How can humans and AI combine their complementary strengths? And what governance and ethical guardrails are required for responsible AI development and adoption across society?

To explore these questions, the project is structured around five interdisciplinary research clusters. The first focuses on hybrid intelligence, examining how humans and AI systems can co-learn and co-evolve. The second cluster advances technological innovation, developing scalable AI solutions alongside frameworks for human-centred development. A third cluster explores governance, ethics, and regulation, contributing research to guide responsible and well-informed AI policies.

Two additional clusters address the societal dimension of AI. Capacity building for empowerment focuses on people and learning environments, including schools, higher education, organisations, and society at large. Finally, the impact cluster ensures that research results are widely shared and translated into practical tools, resources, and policy insights.

A key theme emerging from the kick-off discussions was the importance of participatory AI, drawing on the Scandinavian tradition of participatory design where users and developers collaborate to shape technologies together. This approach emphasises democratic engagement, critical understanding of technology, and empowering individuals, including educators and learners, to actively influence how AI is integrated into education and society.

By contributing to ecosystem engagement, and collaboration across stakeholders, the EEA will support the project’s goal of ensuring that AI research leads to practical, responsible, and human-centred innovation across Europe and beyond.

You can follow the project here: https://ailearn.no/