Health Equity AI HEQED AI
Background and goals
The main motivation for this project proposal is to join forces in addressing two urgent needs: tackling health inequities and
keeping pace with the rapid deployment of AI in higher education. All partner institutions involved have a critical
responsibility to prepare the future workforce to promote health equity, as well as the health and well-being of people and the
planet, in an increasingly inequitable, unfair, and unjust world. Technological advancements can be both a solution and a
factor exacerbating existing inequalities. Health equity has been a shared research and educational focus among these
partners, who have previously collaborated on the Erasmus+ Project Health Equity through Education for a Sustainable
Society (HEQED). Thus, preparing the future workforce to competently and confidently address health equity while
integrating technology into professional practice—recognizing that technology is never neutral—is more urgent than ever.
The last 70 years have been marked by the development of computer systems to perform tasks capable of imitating some
functionalities of human intelligence by processing massive amounts of data, identifying patterns to model their own decision
making. Although AI has been around for decades, the 2022 release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a generative AI (GenAI) tool
that creates new content, brought with it new possibilities as well as numerous challenges. Since then, several other GenAI
tools have emerged, including models from major tech companies and open-source communities, further expanding the
landscape of AI applications. In this proposal, we use AI as an encompassing term that also includes GenAI.
Objectives and benefits
To strengthen the digital competence of partners in higher education to effectively leverage artificial intelligence resources in
advancing health equity through education.
• Enhance the understanding of AI policies and AI literacy in higher education and its impact on teaching and learning about
health equity.
• Experiment with AI to enhance co-learning about health equity in higher education.
• Disseminate results on how to use AI to advance health equity through education.
Results
Project results at transnational, institutional, and individual levels are:
HEQED AI Observatory: improved understanding of EU AI policy environment and AI literacy in higher education and
impact on health equity.
HEQED AI Laboratory: strengthened capacity to use AI to promote health equity through higher education.
HEQED AI Hub: increased capacity to collaborate and use AI to advance health equity through education by engaging
stakeholders and disseminating relevant resources and lessons.
Societal impact
Educational systems across Europe vary in their approaches to AI adoption,
influencing how AI tools are used in teaching, learning, and research. By bringing together institutions with distinct
pedagogical traditions, digital competencies, and curricular structures, the project will enhance AI literacy and capacity building,
ensuring the development of adaptable, inclusive, and ethically responsible AI applications for higher education.
The project will also address diverse health equity needs across Europe, considering the varying social determinants of
health and vulnerable populations in each country. This broad scope will allow for a more comprehensive and inclusive analysis.
Moreover, technological infrastructure and AI readiness differ significantly across European countries. Some institutions
have advanced AI capabilities, while others face resource limitations. This diversity will foster mutual learning, allowing
institutions to share best practices, support capacity-building, and develop scalable and adaptable AI strategies for
institutions with varying levels of technological development.
By fostering interdisciplinary and cross sector collaboration, the project will create opportunities for mutual enrichment,
where participants from health and social sciences, education, and AI fields will exchange expertise, perspectives, and
innovations. This collective European effort will generate results beyond what any single country could achieve, ensuring a
stronger, more cohesive approach to AI and health equity in higher education.
Sustainable development goals
