AI4People Institute was launched in February 2018 as a pioneering research/policy project by Professor Luciano Floridi, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, Robert Madelin and Tony Blair to shape the debate on AI Ethics in the European Union and prompt European institutions to act quickly to stem future AI risks in years where no government had yet addressed this crucial issue.

Its action is at the origin of the regulatory process that led to the AI Act in Europe, the world’s first AI regulation.

AI4People Institute (non-profit organization registered in Belgium) brings together leading AI companies, academics, civil society groups and governments to consider the risks of AI and advocate for responsible and beneficial AI development and deployment. The mission is to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) benefits and serves humanity as a whole.

This crucial mission was initially supported by Atomium-EISMD and the founding members such as Audi, Elsevier, Fujitsu, Google, Meta, Intesa SanPaolo, Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft.

The “AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations”  was presented to the European Parliament in November 2018 and was fully adopted by the High-Level Expert Group on AI, the expert group created by the European Commission following the advice of AI4People.

AI4People Institute focuses on various aspects related to AI, including ethics, policy, governance, privacy, inclusivity, and the responsible use of AI across different domains. Key activities include:

1. Ethical Frameworks: Developing ethical guidelines and frameworks to guide the development and application of AI, emphasizing fairness, transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.

2. Public Awareness and Education: Raising awareness among the public regarding AI’s potential and challenges, fostering understanding, and promoting informed discussions on its societal impact.

3. Policy Recommendations: Providing recommendations to policymakers and regulatory bodies to develop appropriate laws and regulations that govern AI usage, ensuring it aligns with societal values and objectives.

4. Inclusivity and Diversity: Encouraging diverse perspectives and inclusivity in AI development to minimize bias and enhance AI systems’ understanding and representation of all individuals.

5. Privacy and Data Protection: Advocating for robust data privacy measures and emphasizing the importance of securing and protecting individuals’ data in AI applications.

6. Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Facilitating collaboration among stakeholders, sharing best practices, research findings, and insights to foster a collective effort towards responsible AI.

For more information please contact: info@ai4people.org

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Why

AI4People Institute was established in February 2018 following a meeting in 2017 during the Atomium’s Next Generation Internet Summit between Prof Luciano Floridi, Founding Director of the Digital Ethics Center at Yale University and Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, President of Atomium-EISMD. Six months later the European Commission established the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, in which many scientific members of AI4People were engaged.

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What

AI4People Institute’s first year of activity led to the “AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations”,  presented to the European Parliament in December 2018 by Prof. Luciano Floridi, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini and Tony Blair. This important achievement was the starting point for the High Level Group on AI created by the European Commission and guided to the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence presented in April 2019, which served as the basis for the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act).

After this the scientific activities led the Report on Good AI Governance: 14 Priority Actions, a S.M.A.R.T. Model of Governance, and a Regulatory Toolbox“, presented to the the European Parliament  on November 6th.

In 2020, AI4People Institute has identified seven strategic sectors (Automotive, Banking & Finance, Energy, Healthcare, Insurance, Legal Service Industry, Media & Technology) for the deployment of ethical AI, appointing 7 different committees to analyse how can trustworthy AI be implemented in these sectors: the “AI4People’s 7 AI Global Frameworks“, are the result of this effort, presented to the European Parliament on December 1, 2020.
This work contributed to the drafting of the AI ​​Act and supported the policy makers involved in the process.

In 2022 AI4People Institute organised some open-door conversations on certifications, assurance and sandboxes:

In order to follow the results of the First AI4People’s Conversation (December 1, 2021) please see here.

In order to follow the results of the Second AI4People’s Conversation (March 23, 2022) please see here.

In order to obtain more information about the Third AI4People’s Conversation (December 6, 2022) please see here.

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Current Activities: Towards an Ethics by Design Approach for AI

The AI4People Institute “Towards an Ethics by Design Approach for AI” Whitepaper aims to provide a detailed overview of the Ethics by Design process, a methodology that guides the development of AI systems in accordance with the ethical principles and values that underpin the European Union. Starting from an overview of the origins and the rationale of the Ethics by Design process, outlining its main steps and components, the paper also provides some recommendations for the European institutions on how to foster and support the adoption of the Ethics by Design process by the AI stakeholders in the EU.

The whitepaper argues that the Ethics by Design process is a valuable tool to ensure that AI systems do not only comply with the letter of the law, but also with the spirit of ethics and trustworthiness, in order to contribute to the promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of individuals and the common good of society.  This is in keeping with this consideration to be found in “AI4People – An Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations” published on 26 November 2018.

The AI4People Institute “Towards an Ethics by Design Approach for AI” Whitepaper will be presented on April 16th, 2024. 

 AI4People Institute stands for a European approach on the governance and ethics of AI. It is therefore composed of European experts in the fields of AI ethics as well as representatives of international companies involved in the development, deployment and use of AI.

For more information or collaboration proposals please contact: info@ai4people.org

AI4People Institute is registered in the EU Transparency Register under the number 343652748893-89

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