New report recommends AI-specific human rights framework

An oft-used argument against government regulation of emerging technologies is the stifling of innovation. On the other side of this argument is the need to provide a framework within which citizens can be protected from threats to privacy, autonomy, wellbeing and other aspects of human rights that may be affected as technologies like artificial intelligence are increasingly incorporated into everything from education and transport to health and finance.

International non-profit digital rights group Access Now has published a report assessing existing pan-European strategies for AI development and regulation with several recommendations including a strategy of transparency: "Public bodies should engage the public in these decisions [ on AI ] to the fullest possible extent."

The report also noted that "surprisingly little" work has been done by European governments to apply existing anti-discrimination law to AI systems, which is needed in light of algorithmic bias such as job advertisements on Facebook aimed at men rather than women and criminal justice software calculating re-offending rates based on ethnic background.

Access Now also said an area of concern is “strategies which, via paying a nod to ‘ethics’, mainly express willingness to loosen the regulatory environment. Authorities should be vigilant that ethics do not become a smokescreen for an unregulated technical environment.”