Commissioner’s Office in 2025: AI Brought Both New Opportunities and New Risks

The number of inquiries to the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner increased by nearly 22% last year. Questions concerning the impact of artificial intelligence and the digitalisation of public services on more vulnerable groups in society became increasingly prominent.

The Commissioner’s newly published Annual Report shows that the Office received 280 discrimination-related inquiries in 2025, compared to 230 the previous year. Most inquiries concerned discrimination based on nationality, sex, and age.

“Approximately one-third of discrimination-related inquiries cannot be resolved because, under the law, the Commissioner lacks the necessary mandate to investigate them,” said Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Christian Veske, highlighting one of the key challenges. For years, the Commissioner has emphasised the need to expand the scope of the Equal Treatment Act, yet the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs has made no progress on the issue for several years.

For example, the Commissioner is unable to assist people who experience discrimination in the provision of services on the grounds of age or disability. “Unfortunately, the Equal Treatment Act leaves people without legal protection precisely in those areas of everyday life where unequal treatment directly affects their ability to access services, move independently, participate in society, and live with dignity,” Veske said.

The number of cases involving language requirements also increased significantly last year. Many of these were identified with the help of Valdur, an AI-powered tool developed by the Commissioner’s Office. Each month, the system analyses 3,000–4,000 job advertisements and, in December alone, detected 60 potentially discriminatory job ads. Valdur also suggests improvements to the wording of job advertisements, helping employers better understand how to avoid discriminatory recruitment practices.

Estonia’s Digital Tiger Leapt Ahead, but Left Bridges Unbuilt

An analysis published as part of the Commissioner’s Annual Report, Estonia’s Digital Tiger Leapt Ahead, but Left Bridges Unbuilt: Older People Left on the Other Side, found that Estonia lacks a comprehensive national system for supporting the digital skills of older people.

“A digital state must not mean that some people are simply left behind. The introduction of artificial intelligence creates many opportunities, but we must also recognise its risks – not only that replacing human interaction with AI may exclude people with lower levels of digital literacy, but also that AI systems themselves can discriminate against people,” Veske commented.

Estonia’s digital society has developed rapidly, but this progress has not been accompanied by sufficient support for those with lower digital skills. Older people are particularly likely to face difficulties using digital services. “The problem is not a lack of motivation among older people. Rather, services are often designed without considering that people have different levels of digital experience. Age discrimination is already a significant issue, and exclusion from digital services adds an entirely new dimension to it,” Veske said.

A summary of the Commissioner’s Annual Report is available here.