The Baden-Württemberg AI Alliance Publishes a White Paper on Trustworthy AI Infrastructures
The target groups are SMEs, local governments, and policymakers in Baden-Württemberg
Stuttgart, April 2, 2026 – Artificial intelligence can only deliver its full benefits where data can be shared reliably, in compliance with legal requirements, and with confidence. For many organizations—especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local governments, and public institutions—this remains one of the biggest hurdles to adopting AI.
The Baden-Württemberg AI Alliance has recognized that a functioning AI infrastructure requires two things: robust technology and a clear legal and ethical framework. Both were developed in parallel and coordinated with one another. The corresponding white paper was drafted by the “Ethics & Law” task force—with the participation of experts from the University Medical Center Freiburg, the University of Tübingen (IZEW), the FZI Research Center for Information Technology, KIT, and Fraunhofer IOSB. In interdisciplinary workshops, specific application scenarios from healthcare, mobility planning, and industrial quality assurance were explored to refine ethical and legal requirements in response to real-world challenges. The first technical components of the AI data platform have been available as open source since December 2025. With the publication of the white paper “Ethical and Legal Requirements for an AI Data Platform,” the foundation is now complete.
The white paper addresses the questions every organization must ask itself before sharing data via a shared infrastructure: Who is authorized to view what? Who is liable for what? How do companies maintain control over their data? Who benefits from the use of the data? Who has a say in how it is used? And how does the platform remain compliant with European legal frameworks such as the GDPR, the AI Act, and the Data Governance Act—even as these frameworks evolve?
Those who join the AI data platform today will benefit from an infrastructure designed from the outset to ensure data sovereignty, legal certainty, and interoperability within Europe.
Technology and Ethics: A Perfect Match
The technical components of the AI data platform and the ethical and legal framework were developed in parallel and are aligned with one another. The white paper does not offer a theoretical description of what a platform should look like—instead, it highlights the principles that guided the design of the modules that have already been developed.
A key design principle is that data is not stored centrally. Companies, hospitals, and research institutions retain control of their own data. The platform uses standardized metadata to make it clear what data is available and under what conditions it can be used. Anyone wishing to access data negotiates the terms through the platform—with clearly defined usage rights, purpose restrictions, and protocols. The white paper refers to this principle as “compliance-by-design”: legal certainty is built in, not added later.
“Innovation, ethical principles, and legal compliance are not mutually exclusive. Integrating regulatory requirements into technical specifications at an early stage provides planning certainty—especially for small and medium-sized businesses.”
Dr. Thomas Usländer, Fraunhofer IOSB, Project Manager of the AI Data Platform
What the white paper specifically describes
The document translates relevant values and areas of AI use into concrete design and governance requirements: Rights and autonomy are safeguarded by voluntary, informed consent that can be revoked at any time. Data sovereignty means that data remains with the institutions providing it—the platform manages only metadata and access rights. Security is ensured through alignment with ISO 27000 and BSI Basic Protection, as well as transparent processes and independent audits. Data quality is ensured through automated checks of structure, completeness, and data protection compliance. Fairness firmly embeds bias detection mechanisms within the platform. Sustainability is also taken into account: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and alignment with the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact are part of the framework.
Why Ethics and the Law Are Especially Important for SMEs
The white paper clearly identifies why many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle when they want to implement AI: they have neither in-house legal departments nor large datasets. Without support, they must individually search for data sources for each project, negotiate contracts, and verify whether their planned use complies with the GDPR, the AI Act, and other EU regulations. This consumes resources that many SMEs simply do not have—and results in projects never even getting off the ground.
The platform is designed to reduce this effort through structural measures: standardized access, pre-vetted terms of use, and automated quality checks. The white paper outlines specific requirements for this, such as a “starter package” for SMEs that includes checklists and sample data structures, as well as a decision-support tool to assist in selecting suitable datasets.
“Technology is not neutral. Platforms, in particular, shape what is possible and what is not. That is why ethical and legal principles must be firmly embedded in the architecture from the very beginning.”
Carolin Heizmann, University Medical Center Freiburg, co-author of the white paper
Integrated into European data rooms
From the outset, the platform has been designed to be compatible with key European data initiatives. These include GAIA-X for a sovereign cloud and data ecosystem, Manufacturing-X and Catena-X for secure data exchange in the industrial and automotive sectors, and the European Health Data Space (EHDS) for Europe-wide use of health data in compliance with data protection regulations.
In practice, this interoperability means that users of the AI data platform will not need to upgrade their systems later when new EU regulations come into effect.
Next steps: Looking for early adopters
The white paper serves as the foundation for the technical development of the platform, which was created as part of a project funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism. Companies, research institutions, and public organizations are invited to participate as early adopters, test their own use cases, and actively help shape the platform.
Download the white paper: https://freidok.uni-freiburg.de/data/276339
Open-source modules on GitHub: https://github.com/KI-Allianz/
About the AI Alliance Baden-Württemberg eG
The AI Alliance Baden-Württemberg eG is the neutral guidance and knowledge transfer platform for artificial intelligence in the state. It brings together regional expertise from business, academia, politics, and government, and creates reliable frameworks for the application of AI in businesses and local governments. As a cooperative institution, the AI Alliance operates independently of vendor interests and without traditional consulting logic. Its focus is on needs-based coordination, widespread adoption, and sustainable implementation.
The AI Alliance and its associated projects are funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism. For more information, visit: www.ki-allianz.de
Note for your reporting:
- You can download the press release using the button below.
- When using, please indicate the copyright "KI-Allianz Baden-Württemberg eG"
Would you like to find out more or do you need material for reporting? Visit ki-allianz.de or get in touch with us: presse@ki-allianz.de
