De digitalisering gaat verder. De vraag is of er nog ruimte blijft voor de mens. Een van de deelonderwerpen in dat verband is kunstmatige intelligentie, oftewel ‘artificial intelligence‘, ‘AI’.

Europa heeft een EU High Level Expert Group on AI ingesteld. De groep heeft in april jl. ethische richtlijnen uitgebracht. In het bericht over de richtlijnen staat dat betrouwbare AI het volgende moet zijn:

(1) lawful – respecting all applicable laws and regulations
(2) ethical – respecting ethical principles and values
(3) robust – both from a technical perspective while taking into account its social environment

Vervolgens wordt in het bericht over de richtlijnen gesproken over ‘key requirements’ waarin AI systemen moeten voldoen:

• Human agency and oversight: AI systems should empower human beings, allowing them to make informed decisions and fostering their fundamental rights. At the same time, proper oversight mechanisms need to be ensured, which can be achieved through human-in-the-loop, human-on-the-loop, and human-in-command approaches
• Technical Robustness and safety: AI systems need to be resilient and secure. They need to be safe, ensuring a fall back plan in case something goes wrong, as well as being accurate, reliable and reproducible. That is the only way to ensure that also unintentional harm can be minimized and prevented.
• Privacy and data governance: besides ensuring full respect for privacy and data protection, adequate data governance mechanisms must also be ensured, taking into account the quality and integrity of the data, and ensuring legitimised access to data.
• Transparency: the data, system and AI business models should be transparent. Traceability mechanisms can help achieving this. Moreover, AI systems and their decisions should be explained in a manner adapted to the stakeholder concerned. Humans need to be aware that they are interacting with an AI system, and must be informed of the system’s capabilities and limitations.
• Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness: Unfair bias must be avoided, as it could could have multiple negative implications, from the marginalization of vulnerable groups, to the exacerbation of prejudice and discrimination. Fostering diversity, AI systems should be accessible to all, regardless of any disability, and involve relevant stakeholders throughout their entire life circle.
• Societal and environmental well-being: AI systems should benefit all human beings, including future generations. It must hence be ensured that they are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Moreover, they should take into account the environment, including other living beings, and their social and societal impact should be carefully considered.
• Accountability: Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure responsibility and accountability for AI systems and their outcomes. Auditability, which enables the assessment of algorithms, data and design processes plays a key role therein, especially in critical applications. Moreover, adequate an accessible redress should be ensured.

Op 26 juni jl. werd door de groep het rapport Policy and investment recommendations for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence uitgebracht.

Meer informatie:

• Rapport Policy and investment recommendations for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, 26 juni 2019.
• Aankondiging Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI, 8 april 2019, met verwijzing naar diverse bronnen, onder andere de richtlijnen (Engelstalig), er is ook een NL versie. Naar aanleiding daarvan dit artikel van Gry Hasselbalch: EU High Level Expert Group on AI launches policy recommendations, 26 juni 2019.
• Pagina over de EU High Level Expert Group on AI.
• Alle berichten over AI op deze site.

Aanvulling 30 oktober 2019
Lees ook: A Critical Take on the Policy Recommendations of the EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence. En dit: 1, 2.