PATH-AI: a new project promoting human-centred, transparent, and responsible artificial intelligence in higher education

The PATH-AI project – Promoting Accountable and Transparent Human-centred AI in Higher Education – has officially started. The project has been approved under the Erasmus+ KA2 – Partnerships for Cooperation call and is co-funded by the European Union. With a duration of three years, PATH-AI is coordinated by Rzeszów University of Technology.

The international consortium brings together seven academic partners: Rzeszów University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, University of Bergamo, University of Malta, University of Rijeka, University of Ljubljana, and Politecnico di Torino.
Within the Department of Management and Production Engineering, the role of Scientific Director is held by Professor Dario Antonelli.

The project’s vision is clearly captured by its guiding slogan: “Building trust in artificial intelligence for transparent, ethical, and human-centred education”.

PATH-AI responds to the profound transformations introduced by artificial intelligence in higher education. While AI technologies offer significant opportunities to personalize learning and enhance educational processes, their adoption in academic contexts also raises critical challenges related to transparency, ethics, and pedagogical alignment.

In this context, the project aims to make higher education more inclusive, adaptive, and human-centred through the responsible and informed use of generative AI. Its transformative potential is harnessed through the development of institutional policies, targeted training initiatives, educational innovation, and a continuous process of ethical review, in line with the evolving needs of the digital labour market.

More specifically, PATH-AI will develop a framework for the responsible integration of AI in higher education, defining guidelines and policies. At the same time, the project will focus on educational innovation by designing AI-enhanced curricula capable of fostering more adaptive and engaging learning environments, particularly in engineering and related disciplines. To support academic staff, PATH-AI also includes capacity-building and training programmes aimed at promoting the effective and responsible use of AI tools in teaching activities.

Another key component of PATH-AI concerns micro-credentials for lifelong learning. These modular, competence-based certifications, supported by AI technologies, are designed to enhance employability, encourage continuous upskilling, and better respond to labor market demands.

PATH-AI will also implement a continuous ethical monitoring and evaluation process, aimed at overseeing AI adoption, addressing emerging risks, and strengthening trust among students and educators in AI-supported educational systems. Finally, the project promotes sustainable collaboration between universities and industry partners, supporting joint degrees, applied research and shared innovation initiatives, even beyond the project’s duration.

PATH-AI thus represents a forward-looking research pathway for the future of higher education. Throughout the project, key results and updates will be shared, contributing to the promotion of an approach to artificial intelligence that is genuinely ethical, transparent, and centred on the human dimension.

Stay tuned for updates on the project’s progress.