High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence

The High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI HLEG) will have as a general objective to support the implementation of the European strategy on Artificial Intelligence. This will include the elaboration of recommendations on future-related policy development and on ethical, legal and societal issues related to AI, including socio-economic challenges.

Moreover, the AI HLEG will serve as the steering group for the European AI Alliance's work, interact with other initiatives, help stimulate a multi-stakeholder dialogue, gather participants' views and reflect them in its analysis and reports.

In particular, the group is tasked to:

1. Advise the Commission on next steps addressing AI-related mid to long-term challenges and opportunities through recommendations which will feed into the policy development process, the legislative evaluation process and the development of a next-generation digital strategy. In June 2019, the AI HLEG will also put forward policy & investment recommendation on how to strengthen Europe's competitiveness in AI, including guidance for a strategic research agenda on AI and on the establishment of a network of AI excellence centres.
2. On the 18^th December 2018 the AI HLEG proposed the first draft AI ethics guidelines to the Commission, covering issues such as fairness, safety, transparency, the future of work, democracy and more broadly the impact on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including privacy and personal data protection, dignity, consumer protection and non-discrimination. The Guidelines were available and open for consultation between 18 December 2018 and 1 February 2019. The guidelines were adapted after looking at the 500 responses received during the consultation.
3. Support the Commission on further engagement and outreach mechanisms to interact with a broader set of stakeholders in the context of the AI Alliance, share information and gather their input on the group's and the Commission's work.
4. European Commission welcomed the final Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence prepared by the High-Level Group on Artificial Intelligence published on 8 April 2019.

Next step: Building Trust in Human-Centric Artificial Intelligence

AI is seen as a tool operating in the service of humanity and the public good, aiming to increase individual and collective human well-being. People will only be able to confidently and fully reap the benefits of a technology that they can trust.

As a means to creating an environment of trust for the successful development, deployment and use of AI, the Commission encouraged all stakeholders to implement the seven key requirements of the Guidelines.

Moreover, the Commission will bring the Union’s human-centric approach to the global stage and aims to build an international consensus on AI ethics guidelines.

On 8 April 2019 the Commission launched the Communication on Building Trust in Human-Centric Artificial Intelligence on 8 April 2019 (COM(2019)168 final) following the work of the high-level group on the ethics guidelines and the public consultation where over 500 responses were received. Ensuring that European values are at the heart of creating the right environment of trust for the successful development and use of AI the Commission highlights the key requirements for Trustworthy AI in the communication:

• Human agency and oversight
• Technical robustness and safety
• Privacy and Data Governance
• Transparency
• Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness
• Societal and environmental well-being
• Accountability

Aiming to operationalise these requirements, the Guidelines present an assessment list that offers guidance on each requirement's practical implementation. The Commission will now launch a piloting phase of the assessment list involving stakeholders on the widest scale in order to reach consensus on the key requirement ensuring that the guidance can be tested and implemented in practise.

The Members of the AI High Level Expert Group