This paper presents an updated overview of the ‘BridgeAI’ project, a science-for-policy initiative funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Recovery and Resilience Programme. In its second stage of implementation, BridgeAI continues to build upon its original goals, working towards a strategy to align AI research, policy, regulatory frameworks, and practical application. The project provides Portugal with an evidence-based framework to implement the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act (AIA), ensuring responsible AI innovation through multidisciplinary collaboration. BridgeAI connects academia, industry, public administration, and civil society to create actionable insights and regulatory recommendations. This paper details the project’s latest advancements, key recommendations, and future directions.

This paper describes the project “BridgeAI: Boosting Regulatory Implementation with Data-driven insights, Global expertise, and Ethics for AI”, a one-year science-for-policy research project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The project aims to provide decision-makers in Portugal with the best context to implement the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act and bridge the gap between AI research and policy. Although not exclusively on machine translation, the project pertains to natural language processing in general and ultimately to each of us as citizens.