Dr. Karen Latricia Hough of FUNDEA presented a co-authored paper from the Horizon Europe VANGUARD project at the 1st Iberian Conference / 15th Spanish Conference of Criminology (SIEC), “Shared Horizons in Criminology,” held on 10–12 June 2026. The paper, developed in collaboration with Dr. Theodora Tsikrika, Dr. Despoina Chatzakou, and Theoni Spathi from CERTH, and Tatiana Duarte Nicolau from KU Leuven, was entitled “Repositioning the Role of ICT and AI in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”
Drawing on findings from the Horizon Europe VANGUARD project, the research examined how anti-trafficking efforts have struggled to respond to the growing digital dimensions of trafficking in human beings (THB), while perpetrators have increasingly exploited AI and digital technologies to facilitate recruitment, coercion, and exploitation. Based on more than 220 sources and 67 in-depth interviews with survivors, perpetrators, law enforcement officers, border agents, policymakers, NGO representatives, and experts, the study identified major weaknesses in current anti-trafficking responses. These included fragmented data systems, an overreliance on reactive law enforcement approaches, limited survivor engagement, and the risks posed by algorithmic bias and the misuse of surveillance technologies.
The presentation also highlighted how online trafficking and poly-exploitation—including sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and labour exploitation—continue to evolve faster than many institutional responses. In response, the VANGUARD project introduced state-of-the-art AI-powered tools co-developed with stakeholders to help anticipate and disrupt digital trafficking pathways. The paper concluded by advocating for a shift from fragmented and reactive anti-trafficking strategies towards coordinated, evidence-based, and ethically grounded approaches better suited to the realities of the digital age.