On 30 November 2021, ARTICLE 19 and 114 civil society organisations published a collective statement calling for an Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) which puts fundamental rights first. The statement offers a series of recommendations to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on how to amend and improve the European Commission’s AIA proposal. The AIA can offer a first step in ensuring that the protection of human rights is at the centre of Artificial Intelligence (AI) uses and developments.
AI systems are increasingly used in all sectors of our lives. However, they are deployed and used without an adequate legal framework, which poses threats to our rights and freedoms…
The EU institutions’ initiative to regulate the development and deployment of AI systems is an important step. However, the AIA must prioritise the protection of fundamental rights, address the structural, societal, political and economic impacts of the use of AI, and be future-proof.
To this aim, we call for:
- A cohesive, flexible and future-proof approach to the ‘risk’ of AI systems
- Prohibitions on all AI systems posing an unacceptable risk to fundamental rights
- Obligations on users of (i.e. those deploying) high-risk AI systems to facilitate accountability to those impacted by AI systems.
- Consistent and meaningful public transparency
- Meaningful rights and redress for people impacted by AI systems
- Accessibility throughout the AI life-cycle
- Sustainability and environmental protections when developing and using AI systems
- Improved and future-proof standards for AI systems
- A truly comprehensive AIA that works for everyone