SOLARIS Project Conducts Its Third Meeting in Sofia

The third meeting of the SOLARIS project took place on April 15-16 in Sofia. Hosted by Brand Media Bulgaria at the Rosslyn Central Park Hotel, the event marked a significant milestone following the inaugural meeting in Amsterdam last year – namely, 1 year of project development.

Now led by a new Coordinator, Utrecht University and project leader Prof. Dr. Federica Russo, the team engaged in evaluating their progress and planning for future activities. The meeting focused on enhancing strategies for the communication and dissemination of research findings. Earlier in the year, the project had already made headlines with the publication of two critical studies: "Socio-political and psychological attitudes toward GANs" and "Technical and socio-political reconnaissance of GANs-generated contents."

The main discussions delved into trust issues in human-machine interactions and the influence of AI and GANs on political freedoms, incorporating a review of international regulations. A highlight was the hands-on trial of a new platform for creating deep fake content, set to become a pivotal experimental tool for upcoming studies and simulations during the project.

An online session with the project's ethical advisory board also took place, providing essential feedback on ethical considerations impacting the project.

The meeting concluded with a cultural tour of Sofia's communist history, offering participants a deeper understanding of Bulgaria during the communist era. Looking ahead, the team is scheduled to meet again in Madrid in the fall of 2024.