ELSA stands for ethical, legal and societal aspects. “We investigate these different aspects for data analysis and AI applications, including the use of datasets and algorithms. Data science and AI offer all sort of opportunities, but you have to use them responsibly if you want to avoid major problems,” Juhasz says. “Just think of the childcare benefits scandal,” Brüggen adds.  

The ELSA Lab investigates issues such as how early detection can help to reduce poverty and debt. “Municipalities have a legal duty to help residents with debts, so they receive automatic notifications from the authorities if residents fall behind on their rent or gas, water and electricity bills,” Van Soest explains. “We’d like to pinpoint when and how municipalities intervene. Is it after one month or three months? And do residents receive a text message, phone call or home visit? 

“To find out which approach works best, we’re working on a research design. The idea is that all available data will be analysed using AI, which will then advise policy officers on the right time and the best way to address problems related to poverty and debt. It’s up to them whether or not to follow the advice—making decisions like that remains a job for humans.”
 

Better policy through virtual reality

The ELSA Lab is also investigating how virtual reality can improve policies for poverty and debt relief. “These policies are usually based on statistics and drawn up by policymakers who have no sense of what it’s actually like to struggle with poverty or debt,” Brüggen says. The researchers are working to develop a VR experience that will enable policymakers to experience for themselves what someone with financial problems is up against. 

“The idea is to show just how much stress it causes, not only mentally, but physically, too,” Brüggen continues. “What if your daughter wants to go on a school trip, but you don’t have the money? Do you let her go, even if it means you can no longer pay your bills? Or do you choose otherwise? Policymakers will be able to feel for themselves what a dilemma like that does to a person—to the point of heart palpitations. Our hope is that VR will foster more understanding and empathy among policymakers, and that this will ultimately be reflected in the policies.” 

The ELSA Lab brings various disciplines under one roof, which the researchers find very valuable. “We look at an issue from multiple angles,” Van Soest says. “What are the ethical, financial or technological consequences of certain choices? I find that incredibly interesting; you learn from one another and broaden your horizons. What’s more, it prevents tunnel vision.”

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All three agree that the research requires patience. Juhasz: “We’re starting locally, in the municipality of Heerlen, and taking small steps. If a project yields good results, we can roll it out to other municipalities. But it will have to be customised, given that every municipality is different. By involving residents at an early stage, we’re able to take their needs into account and ensure that the solutions we ultimately arrive at are accepted in society.”

When will the first results of the ELSA Lab be visible? “It’s not realistic to expect to see effects after just a year or two,” Brüggen says. “That’s why it’s important to celebrate interim victories and keep the long term in mind. It keeps us motivated and allows us to chip away at the major challenge of eradicating the problems of poverty and debt.”

Text: Martina Langeveld
Photography: Paul van der Veer