New European AI ethics guidelines announced

The European Commission has set out its key requirements for trustworthy artificial intelligence, announcing a large-scale pilot phase for feedback from stakeholders and building an international consensus for human-centric artificial intelligence (AI). Building on the work of the group of independent experts appointed in June 2018, the Commission has launched a pilot phase to ensure that the ethical guidelines for AI development and use can be implemented in practice.

Seven essentials for achieving trustworthy AI

Trustworthy AI should respect all applicable laws and regulations, as well as a series of requirements; specific assessment lists aim to help verify the application of each of the key requirements:

• Human agency and oversight: AI systems should enable equitable societies by supporting human agency and fundamental rights, and not decrease, limit or misguide human autonomy. New data highlights increase of seller fraud.
• Robustness and safety: trustworthy AI requires algorithms to be secure, reliable and robust enough to deal with errors or inconsistencies during all life cycle phases of AI systems.
• Privacy and data governance: citizens should have full control over their own data, while data concerning them will not be used to harm or discriminate against them.
• Transparency: the traceability of AI systems should be ensured.
• Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness: AI systems should consider the whole range of human abilities, skills and requirements, and ensure accessibility.
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• Societal and environmental well-being: AI systems should be used to enhance positive social change and enhance sustainability and ecological responsibility.
• Accountability: mechanisms should be put in place to ensure responsibility and accountability for AI systems and their outcomes.

Large-scale pilot with partners In summer 2019, the Commission will launch a pilot phase involving a wide range of stakeholders. Companies, public administrations and organisations can sign up to the European AI Alliance and receive notification when the pilot starts. In addition, members of the AI high-level expert group will help present and explain the guidelines to relevant stakeholders in Member States.

Draft Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI

Artificial Intelligence (European Commission)

National Law Review article

Does your company have an AI ethics dilemma? (Information Age)