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Weaving a Common Vision A dialogue on how to strengthen media’s bargaining power over Generative AI and safeguard democracy

The developments in generative and General Purpose AI (GPAI) systems have raised concerns about extractive data practices, market concentration by a small number of big tech providers, and pervasive weaknesses in data governance. These have implications for how public interest media, a key cornerstone of our democracies, sustain their content production and protect their integrity. The Data Tank facilitated an action research project and ecosystem dialogue to convene key stakeholders in the media sector and identify strategies that can leverage the power of small and medium media organisations in Europe vis a vis large Generative AI providers. The goal was to ensure that the media not only serve the public better across contexts and languages but also derive fair value from their public interest work. The expected outcome by June 2026 was to have brought together an engaged community and potential coalition, with surfaced needs, and defined potential pathways for public-interest media to protect and leverage their power and data in the AI era. The target participants for this phase were small and regional media organisations and networks in Europe in particular, although the process convened a range of actors to understand the different views and potential leverages across sectors and geographies on the way forward.‍ This report documents the convening process and the resulting areas of common ground and recommendations for the next steps.

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In Search for a Vision: The EU’s Approach to Tech Sovereignty Needs to be Steered by Clearer Public Interest Outcomes Rather than a ‘Race’ to the Unknown

The European Commission finally published its proposed European Technological Sovereignty Package last week to strengthen its autonomy and resilience as it develops its industrial strategy and digital ecosystem in a complex geopolitical landscape. In addition to the main document laying out the overall approach, the package includes the non-binding EU Open Source Strategy, the proposal for a Chips Act 2.0 to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem and boost domestic demand, the also legislative proposal Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) to address cloud dependency, and a Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy. In this article, The Data Tank revisits its recent recommendations on the way forward for Europe’s digital and data strategies through the sovereignty lens proposed in this package. The focus on open source, the more explicit mention of environmentally sustainable measures to developing the European cloud computing capacity are welcome signs on the way forward. Yet, a clearer vision that is based on public interest tangible outcomes, as we propose below, is needed to steer Europe’s approach to digital sovereignty.

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Media, Democracy and Generative AI: A Critical Juncture

As part of the 'Strengthening Media in the Age of Generative AI' action-research and dialogue, The Data Tank conducted a literature review which included a total of 221 academic, industry, and policy sources (you can read more details about the methodology in the report). The aim was to map the challenges that Generative AI poses to public interest media in Europe –and to small and medium-sized organisations in particular– and the ways forward being proposed to address them.

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New policy brief: What’s Next for Europe’s Digital and Data Strategies

In this brief, we respond to the European Commission’s plan for a new strategy, the Data Union strategy, introduced in the new AI Continent Action Plan. We consider these plans alongside other announced and related initiatives such as the EU Cloud and AI Development Act and the EU Democracy Shield. Our proposed actions, which we further develop below, can be summed up under the following points.

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Our 2025-2028 strategy

Following six months of internal and stakeholder discussions, we are proud to release our 2025-2028 strategy.

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New Course Announcement: Data Stewardship Bootcamp in Torino

Unlocking Non-Traditional Data for Pandemic Response & Modeling | Data Stewardship Bootcamp

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Data Stewardship Bootcamp Takes Off to Milan: Lessons Learnt and an Engaged Community

The Data Tank in collaboration with Fondazione Cariplo, and as part of the Data Stewards Academy, completed, in the words of participants, a ‘unique’ one-month hybrid Data Stewardship Bootcamp in Milan.

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Sign up now open! Strengthening Media in the Age of GenAI

Sign up is open! ‍Our ‘Strengthening Media in the Age of GenAI’ project is now fully running and we have just opened registration for journalists and representatives of media organisations in Europe to sign up to our in-depth learning and deliberation sessions. We are convening media players of diverse languages and sizes in Europe to share knowledge, deliberate and identify the priorities to help media strengthen their bargaining power vis-a-vis GenAI and protect the integrity and sustainability of the information ecosystem.

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Is this the end of Business-to-Government (B2G) sharing? How the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus Confines B2G Data Sharing to a ‘Last Resort’ Option

The European Union’s pursuit to create a single data market has always been a balancing act between fostering public interest goals and safeguarding private enterprise. The Data Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/2854), which became applicable on September 12 2025, codified this tension, particularly in its Business-to-Government (B2G) provisions under Chapter V. Initially, these provisions required data holders to share data with public sector bodies in cases of “exceptional need”, which was divided into two tracks: urgent Public Emergencies and non-emergency Public Interest Tasks.

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A Year in Review: Building Strategic Data Stewardship Capabilities Across the Globe

The Data Tank, in collaboration with The Governance Lab, continued to work towards a critical and often missing strategic role: navigating responsible data governance and access as foundational human infrastructure for AI development. We worked closely with civil society, private sector, and public sector organizations across Europe and beyond to ensure that access to data for responsible AI development remains a priority.

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Stewarding Data Strategically and Responsibly for Smarter Cities and Regions: Apply Now for the First Data Stewards Bootcamp in Brussels

Join a new generation of leaders shaping how data serves cities and regions. The Data Stewards Bootcamp offers hands-on training in responsible and strategic data stewardship, helping cities and regions unlock data’s full potential for the public good. Apply today!

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The Path not Yet Taken: Why the Data Act Needs more Regulatory Imagination

This month, on September 12th, the Data Act (also known as Regulation 2023/2854 on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data) started to apply in the EU with the ambition, in the European Commission words, to ‘foster a competitive data market by making data (in particular industrial data) more accessible and usable, encouraging data-driven innovation and increasing data availability’.

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Governance and business models for sustainable health data collaboratives

This new report has been co-authored by The Data Tank and the Impact Licensing Initiative. It report offers a timely synthesis of governance and business model options for health data collaboratives. Based on a rapid review of academic, policy, and industry literature, it examines how to sustain ecosystems for data reuse that deliver public value while ensuring legitimacy, transparency, and long-term viability. Drawing from real-world case studies, it highlights the role of social licenses, impact licensing, and collective consent mechanisms. The report includes actionable recommendations for designing purpose-driven, values-based, and financially sound collaboratives that align with regulatory realities while advancing equitable access to health data. A foundational read for those building data collaboratives with a public interest lens.

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Apply Now: Join the Data Stewards Intensive Course 2.0 for Civil Society in Berlin

Data has the power to transform civil society. When used strategically, it can inform decision-making, enhance service delivery, and strengthen advocacy efforts. Yet, despite a growing awareness of data’s value, many civil society organisations in Germany continue to face challenges in adopting open data practices and fostering meaningful data collaboration.

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The Data Union Strategy: Game Changer or Déjà Vu?

Will the Data Union Strategy overcome the shortcomings of its predecessors, or will it struggle with the same difficulties? Our Senior Research Lead Marta Poblet addresses this question in this Data for Policy CIC blog piece.

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Beyond Digital Sovereignty: A Polycentric Digital Future for Europe

Digital sovereignty has been at the centre of the EU’s policy agenda for some years now. In her 2019 political guidelines, the then candidate for President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated that it was ‘not too late to achieve technological sovereignty in some critical technology areas’. A plethora of policy instruments emphasising technological and digital sovereignty followed up, including the European strategy for Data, the 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade, or the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030.

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Engaging Youth on Responsible Data Reuse: 5 Lessons Learnt from a Multi-Country Experiment

Young people seeking essential services — like mental health care, education, or public benefits — are often asked to share personal data in order to access the service, without having any say in how it is being collected, shared or used, or why. If young people distrust how their data is being used, they may avoid services or withhold important information, fearing misuse. This can unintentionally widen the very gaps these services aim to close.

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The Future of Research Funding and Data: Insights from the DeSci.Berlin 2025 Conference

Earlier this month, I attended the DeSci.Berlin 2025 Conference at Molecule HQ, where scientists, blockchain developers, and investors gathered to examine how scientific research might evolve in the Web3 environment.

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Introducing the Data Collaborative Accelerator: Fast-tracking Data for Public Good

Across the world, civil society organisations and local governments are tackling some of the most pressing social challenges of our time. Yet, they often face a stark and growing divide: despite the exponential growth in data generation, access to data is becoming increasingly restricted. We are approaching a “data winter” — a moment where those serving vulnerable populations are systematically excluded from data ecosystems that could transform their work.

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Exploring Philanthropic Perspectives on Data, Licensing, and Equitable Impact

On 10 June 2025, The Data Tank took part in the workshop “Funding and Licensing for Impact and Access: The Philanthropic Funder Experience”, co-hosted by the Impact Licensing Initiative (ILI) and the Medicines Patent Poolat the European Commission in Brussels.This high-level workshop brought together leading philanthropic organisations, policymakers, and impact-driven institutions to reflect on how public and philanthropic funding can better serve societal outcomes. As the European Commission prepares the next Research and Innovation Framework Programme (FP10), participants were invited to contribute lessons learned and policy recommendations grounded in real-world experience.

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Digital Transformation in Kosovo: Navigating the Data Landscape and Pathways Forward

https://www.re-actlab.org/our-work/publications/policy-brief-digital-transformation-in-kosov

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Unlocking the Potential of Data Reuse: A Digital Dialogue on Serving the Common Good

On 3 April 2025, the Digital Dialogue event brought together thought leaders to explore how civil society can steward the reuse of data to create public value.

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The Overlooked Importance of Data Reuse in AI Infrastructure: Why and How the Public Sector Can Help

The Overlooked Importance of Data Reuse in AI Infrastructure: Why and How the Public Sector Can Help

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The NextGenData project informs the tools suite of the Data for Children Collaborative

The Data for Children Collaborative has adapted some of its Responsible Innovation framework suite of tools to build a Workbook for Designing Responsible Youth Participation. The workbook aims to serve as a guide to good practice for your team when engaging children and young people. You can download the guide here!

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Event with MEP Kristian Vigenin on Data and AI Governance in Preventive Healthcare

We were delighted to coordinate this event at the European Parliament on the 26th March, with the European Internet Forum and the IEEE. This was a high-level discussion on the role of artificial intelligence and data governance in advancinWe were delighted to coordinate this event at the European Parliament on the 26th March, with the European Internet Forum and the IEEE. This was a high-level discussion hosted by MEP Kristian Vigenin on the role of artificial intelligence and data governance in advancing preventive care. Our co-founder Dr Stefaan Verhulst talked about the importance of leveraging data frameworks for more inclusive and anticipatory healthcare.

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Data Stewards: Developing the Human Infrastructure to Turn EU Pata Policies into Practice

What is needed to turn the European data strategy into practice? And what is the role of data stewards to that end? The Data Tank’s event in Brussels last month aimed at discussing the need and opportunity for developing data stewardship practices in the context of the recent digital and data policy developments in Europe. The function of the data steward is central as human infrastructure, embedded across all types of organisations, to facilitate the right ecosystems for data reuse and bring data policies into practice.

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Access, Signal, Action: Data Stewardship Lessons from Valencia’s Floods

Valencia has a rich history in water management, a legacy shaped by both triumphs and tragedies. This connection to water is embedded in the city’s identity, yet modern floods test its resilience in new ways. During the recent floods, Valencians experienced a troubling paradox. In today’s connected world, digital information flows through traditional and social media, weather apps, and government alert systems designed to warn us of danger and guide rapid responses. Despite this abundance of data, a tragedy unfolded last month in Valencia. This raises a crucial question: how can we ensure access to the right data, filter it for critical signals, and transform those signals into timely, effective action?

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Keynote Talk at the EU Open Data Days

Our co-founder Stefaan Verhulst delivered a keynote speech at the EU Open Data Days on March 20, 2025, exploring a potential Fourth Wave of Open Data—one that integrates generative AI to drive social impact.

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Participatory AI: Forging Shared Frameworks for Action

The launch of the new $400 million Current AI fund at the Paris AI Action Summit has focused attention on shaping technology in the public interest. This begs the question of how public voices will shape this fund and, perhaps more importantly, how the public interest can be put at the center of broader AI development and governance decisions.

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A Year in Review: Data Stewardship Bootcamps to Unlock Data Reuse

We live in societies where data is everywhere and nowhere at the same time, because it is often locked in silos and unable to be reused to serve the public interest. The Data Tank envisions societies that are equipped to access data in inclusive, responsible, systematic and sustainable ways to improve people’s lives. Creating ecosystems for data reuse is central to achieving this. Governance and technical infrastructure are important pillars of these ecosystems but they need the human infrastructure that can make them function. Data stewardship involves the skills, competencies and functions needed to provide access to data for reuse in the public interest. In 2024, and building on earlier work by The GovLab, The Data Tank has delivered a programme of Data Stewardship bootcamps to meet the growing demand across sectors. As we already prepare the bootcamps planned for 2025, we reflect on this past year and on what is about to come.

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Announcing the Youth Engagement Toolkit for Responsible Data Reuse

Young people seeking essential services — whether mental health support, education, or government benefits — often face a critical challenge: they are asked to share their data without having a say in how it is used or for what purpose. While the responsible use of data can help tailor services to better meet their needs and ensure that vulnerable populations are not overlooked, a lack of trust in data collection and usage can have the opposite effect.

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Speaking at the Mobile World Congress 2025: 'The Hidden Costs of AI'

Our Senior Research and Poalicy Leads, Marta Poblet and Anna Colom, spoke at the panel organised by ESADE at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) on the hidden costs of AI. They spoke about data governance, AI and their impact on democracy, inequalities and skills.

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Copyright Has No Moat? A Snapshot on the US, EU, and Beyond

In the spring of 2023, a leaked internal document from Google made waves across the tech industry with a stark declaration: “We Have No Moat, And Neither Does OpenAI.” The anonymous Google researcher argued that open-source AI models were rapidly catching up to proprietary ones, threatening the competitive advantages of tech giants. The document’s title referred to the medieval concept of a moat — the defensive barrier surrounding a castle that kept invaders at bay. Although many language models may be more accurately described as having “open weights” rather than fully open source, in today’s technological landscape, the metaphorical moats of proprietary AI seem to be dissipating faster than anyone anticipated.

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Key Lesson of this Year’s Nobel Prize

The importance of unlocking data reuse responsibly to advance science and improve people’s lives. This year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry owes a lot to available, standardised, high quality data that can be reused to improve people’s lives.

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Data Stewards in Action

Accelerating the Re-Use of Social Sector Data for Civil Society in Germany. A need for Data Stewardship Our data-driven world is demanding responsible frameworks to govern the AI-enabled digital transformation.

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How Can We Build a Future where Data Serves Youth, and Youth Guide Data?

The NextGenData 2024 Summit sought to address this very question. It’s no secret that young people today face a number of increasingly complex challenges: mental health issues, access to employment, and migration services for young refugees are only a few examples of many.

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Increasing Access to Data for the Common Good

A Joint Breakfast Roundtable by The Data Tank (TDT) & Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL). What are some of the cross-sectoral challenges faced by industries and public policy institutions in increasing access to data for the common good, and how to address them in a way that enables more systematic and responsible data collaboration?

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New Report with Agence Française de Développement: Social Licence through Public Engagement

The Data Tank is looking to recruit a dynamic and hands-on Network and Business Development Manager to play a key role in building our community and expanding our activities. This is an exciting and impactful role within our small but growing international team. The successful applicant will ideally start as soon as possible.

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The Urgent Need to Reimagine Data Consent

Data is a powerful tool in addressing contemporary challenges, but current consent models don’t go far enough to align with community expectations and protect vulnerable populations.

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