Essex professor chosen for AI Act Scientific Panel

Professor Haris Mouratidis, Director of the Institute for Analytics and Data Science (IADS) at the University of Essex, has been appointed to the European Union’s AI Act Scientific Panel. 

He joins a select group of 60 independent experts who will support the implementation and oversight of the EU’s landmark Artificial Intelligence Act.

The Scientific Panel, established by the European Commission, provides technical advice to the EU’s AI Office and national authorities. Its work includes assessing the risks and impacts of General-Purpose AI (GPAI) models, advising on evaluation methodologies, identifying systemic risks and contributing to market surveillance activities.

The panel operates alongside the Advisory Forum, which brings together wider perspectives from industry, civil society and academia.

Professor Mouratidis said: “This is an important initiative at a pivotal moment for AI governance. AI will shape how our societies work for decades to come, and getting the foundations right matters to everyone, not only to researchers.

“My work on AI is centred on a single question: how we make AI systems genuinely trustworthy, so that the people and organisations relying on them can do so with confidence. That question matters more than ever as AI becomes part of everyday life. I'm proud to contribute to an effort that puts careful, independent science at the heart of how Europe governs these technologies.”

Professor Mouratidis brings extensive expertise in cybersecurity, data science and risk and threat modelling for AI systems. His research addresses the security, trustworthiness and resilience of AI systems, spanning adversarial robustness, privacy-preserving machine learning, and the engineering of models that remain dependable under attack or manipulation, together with methods for assessing and managing the risks that AI systems can introduce. As Director of IADS, he leads a team applying these ideas to real-world problems across the public and private sectors. It is precisely this combination of technical depth and practical application that the Scientific Panel’s work demands.

The selection process for the Scientific Panel prioritised technical excellence, geographic balance and gender balance, with no more than three experts appointed from any single country and preference given to underrepresented genders when candidates were equally qualified. Members serve in a personal capacity for a renewable 24-month term and sign declarations of confidentiality and commitment before beginning their work.

Professor Mouratidis’ appointment reflects his standing as a leading authority in secure and trustworthy AI and highlights the vital role of academic expertise in shaping Europe’s approach to responsible AI development and regulation.

For over 50 years, the University of Essex has been the intellectual home of the world’s leading experts in data science. IADS was created in 2014 as a centre of excellence that utilises new forms of data science and advanced analytic techniques to tackle social challenges, engage with the public and private sectors and the wider non-academic community, to develop lasting solutions that will make the world a better place.