Albert Sabater Coll

Albert Sabater Coll is Serra Húnter Professor of Sociology at the University of Girona and Director of the Chair-Observatory of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence of Catalonia (OEIAC). His institutional affiliation also includes the Educational Research Institute and the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Gender and Social Inequalities (IGESI).

Education

• PhD in Social Statistics, University of Manchester
• MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics, University of Manchester
• MSc in Demography, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Research Interests

Professor Sabater’s work sits at the intersection of computational social science, demography and AI ethics. He explores socio-spatial inequalities—housing segregation, generational divides, digital divides—using large-scale census, survey and big-data sources. Methodologically, he develops iterative algorithms to handle missing-data biases and differential non-response in population counts, paying special attention to gender, age, ethnicity and residential location. His recent agenda expands into the ethical governance of AI systems in public services, especially social-welfare assessment.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a clear pivot toward AI governance and ethics, with studies on participatory AI in social services, self-assessment models for regulatory compliance, and gender-based violence. Earlier work (2017-2022) focused on housing affordability, age segregation, and intergenerational transfers, utilising advanced demographic and spatial methods.

Scientific Awards & Distinctions

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie predoctoral fellow, European Commission
• Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral researcher, Spanish Ministry
• Research Accreditation in Social Sciences, Catalan Agency for University Quality (AQU)
• Invited researcher, Princeton University (Office of Population Research)
• Invited researcher, University of Oxford (Oxford Institute of Population Aging)

Grants & Leadership Roles

• Principal Investigator, AI FORA (AI for Assessment) – Horizon Europe case study
• Lead member, National Plan for Protection of Vulnerable Groups in AI, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Digital Transformation
• Co-investigator & coordination team, RESCHOOL (Horizon Europe)
• Co-investigator, CLIMA project on energy communities and inter-generational transfers

Laboratories & Teams

He heads the Chair-Observatory of Ethics in AI of Catalonia (OEIAC) and is a core member of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Gender and Social Inequalities (IGESI). He also contributes to the European Lighthouse on Secure and Safe AI Ethics Board and advises the Catalan Government’s Data Ethics and Health/AI Programme Committees.