On 21 and 22 October 2026, Vrije Universiteit Brussel hosted the IDEA Final Conference, “Artificial Intelligence, Labour Law and Access to Justice”, at the Learning Theater of the Learning and Innovation Center in Brussels.
The two-day programme brought together academic research, legal practice and technological development to explore how Artificial Intelligence is changing employment relationships and the ways in which people understand, pursue and enforce their rights.
Organised within the IDEA project, co-funded by the European Union, the conference connected questions about oversight in the automated workplace with the practical challenges of developing digital tools for labour dispute resolution. Across five panels, two book presentations and a platform demonstration, the programme examined the conditions under which technological innovation can support effective access to justice.
The opening panel, “Labour Law and Artificial Intelligence”, moderated by Prof. Jachin Van Doninck of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, considered the relationship between automation, legal responsibility and human oversight.
Antonio Aloisi, from IE University Law School, Madrid, addressed the laws and flaws of human oversight in the automated workplace. Sara Hourani, from Middlesex University, examined the delegation of justice through the use of Artificial Intelligence in arbitration. Marco Biasi, from the University of Milan, contributed a comparative overview of Artificial Intelligence and work law, while Gioia Arnone, from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, presented a human-centred framework for Artificial Intelligence-assisted labour dispute resolution.
Together, these contributions placed a central question at the heart of the conference: under what conditions can digital innovation strengthen the practical exercise of rights?
The second panel, “The IDEA Project”, moderated by Prof. Marco Giacalone of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, focused on the research and implementation questions underlying the project.
Milda Markeviciute and Rimantas Simaitis, from Vilnius University, explored the digitalisation paradox through lessons from Lithuania, examining the transition from Artificial Intelligence as a shadow assistant in digital courts to accountable, human-supervised support. Marko Stilinović, Tatjana Josipović and Ivana Kanceljak, from the University of Zagreb, addressed the question of when two cases can be considered legally similar, examining predictive justice and its limits in labour dismissal disputes. Giampiero Lupo, Giada Pacifico and Alessandro Sbarro, from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, presented their work on translating ethical guidelines into an assessment framework for Artificial Intelligence in judicial systems. Marianna Molinari and Andrea Filippo Ferraris, from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, traced “The IDEA Journey: From Legal Analysis to Implementation”, connecting the project’s legal research with its practical development.
The first day also featured a demonstration of the IDEA platform by Flora Amato and Mattia Fonisto, from the University of Naples Federico II. This session gave a concrete technological focus to the legal and ethical questions addressed throughout the afternoon, introducing the platform developed within the project to support access to information and decision-making in labour disputes.
The second day opened with the presentation of “Artificial Intelligence and Labour Law: A Global Overview”, edited by Marco Biasi. Antonio Aloisi, Marco Biasi, Marco Giacalone and Silvia Rainone participated as presenters, with Gioia Arnone as discussant. The session situated the conference’s central themes within a broader international examination of the relationship between technological change and labour protection.
The subsequent panel, “Labour Law: Comparative Perspectives”, moderated by Prof. Marco Giacalone, examined how these questions arise across different jurisdictions and professional settings.
Ghita Abderrazik, from Hassan II University of Casablanca, addressed algorithmic discrimination at work and access to evidence, bringing a Moroccan labour law perspective into dialogue with European Union safeguards. Falko Blumenthal, from IG Metall Munich, explored the capacity of existing collective agreements to regulate Artificial Intelligence, with particular attention to contestability and performance pay. İrem Çelik Knapp, from İstanbul Üniversitesi, examined Artificial Intelligence-generated working-time records and the right to an effective remedy. Claudia Giorgetti, from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, considered legal safeguards for algorithmic management over clinical workers. Yiolanti Maou, from the University of Nicosia, addressed legal triage chatbots and the conflict-of-laws dimension of European Union employment disputes.
These contributions illustrated the range of settings in which algorithmic systems can affect workers’ rights, while drawing attention to recurring questions about evidence, accountability and the ability to challenge decisions.
The final book presentation focused on “The Cambridge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Dispute Resolution”, edited by Amy J. Schmitz, Marco Giacalone and Pietro Ortolani. The session brought together Marco Giacalone, Giampiero Lupo, Pietro Ortolani and Sara Hourani as presenters, with Jachin Van Doninck as discussant, extending the discussion to the wider transformation of civil justice.
Across the programme, a common concern emerged: the value of digital justice tools depends on their relationship with the people, institutions and legal safeguards they are intended to serve. Accessibility, understandable information, human supervision and opportunities to contest decisions remain central to that assessment.
The IDEA Consortium reflects the interdisciplinary cooperation these questions require. Its work connects the legal expertise of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Vilnius University, the University of Zagreb, Tallinn University of Technology, the University of Tuscia and Masaryk University with the technical contribution of the University of Naples Federico II, the ethical expertise of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and the professional perspective of the Fédération des Barreaux d’Europe. Within this collaboration, FBE provides an important connection with legal practitioners, contributing to design, testing, validation and dissemination, and helping bring the project’s work into dialogue with the legal profession.
We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, moderators, discussants, participants and partner institutions for their contributions to the IDEA Final Conference. The questions addressed in Brussels remain central to future research and practice: how to make digital legal support useful and understandable, how to preserve meaningful human judgment, and how to ensure that innovation contributes to effective access to justice.
Explore the IDEA platform: https://ideachatbot.idealunina.com/