Dear Member of the HLG and the AI Alliance,

We launched today with a press release and a website (algorules.org). I want to share the criteria with you today. I will add a pdf to the open library.

As next step, we are working to formulate the "rules" in more concrete terms and to render them more applicable in practice. We are therefore looking for developers and decision-makers as well as institutions and companies with an interest in such rules and also for real-life examples of applied algorithmic systems to test the Algo.Rules.

The Name of the project might be misleading: they are no rules in terms of regulation or laws. It is about design criteria needed in the developement, set up etc of algorithmic systems in order to make them regulable and controllable.

I will present the criteria next week at the Digital Ethics Conference in Bonn (March 13). 

Thank you in advance for discussions and feedback about the design criteria we created with more than 400 experts.

Ramak Molavi

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Why do we need Algo.Rules?

Algorithmic systems are being implemented in a growing number of areas and are being used to make decisions that have a profound impact on our lives. They involve opportunities as well as risks. It is up to us to ensure that algorithmic systems are designed for the benefit of society. The individual and collective freedoms and rights that comprise human rights should be strengthened, not undermined, by algorithmic systems. Regulations designed to protect these norms must remain enforceable. To achieve this objective, we’ve developed the following Algo.Rules together with a variety of experts and the interested public.

What are Algo.Rules?

The Algo.Rules are a catalogue of formal criteria for enabling the socially beneficial design and oversight of algorithmic systems. They provide the basis for ethical considerations as well as the implementation and enforcement of legal frameworks. These criteria should be integrated from the start in the development of any system and therefore be implemented by design. Given their interdependence on each other, the Algo.Rules should be treated as a composite unit. Interested stakeholders and experts are invited to join us in developing the Algo.Rules further and to adopt them, adapt them, expand them and, above all, explore opportunities to apply them in practice. Dynamic by design, the Algo.Rules should be fine-tuned, particularly in terms of their practical implementation.

The Algo.rules address everyone who signficantly influences the creation, development, programming, implementation or the effects of an algorithmic system, as well as everyone who has commissioned the development or integration of such a system. We purposefully do not limit the scope of our attention to programmers. This is because the effects of such systems are influenced not only through their programming codes, but also by their objectives, training data, organizational context and the ways in which a system’s results are presented, interpreted and applied. A system’s goals are often determined by the client or management. Should the system help generate the largest possible profit, solve a problem as fast as possible or should societal interests be the primary consideration? Operators and software designers also have considerable influence on the effects brought about by an algorithmic system. They determine the presentation and application of a decision made by said system. The Algo.Rules establish a uniform set of guiding principles for all of these individuals. Ensuring their use in day-to-day practice requires that they be further specified. Our next step therefore involves personalizing the rules. The purpose of this exercise is to emulate specific rules and recommended actions for real-world situations.

The Algo.Rules address in particular (but not limited to) the following groups:

• Researchers,
• data collectors,
• executives,
• programmers,
• developers,
• software designers
• and operators.

The development of the Algo.Rules involves an open, participatory and interdisciplinary process in which 400 people have thus far participated.

In addition to the complexity and diversity of algorithmic systems, the Algo.Rules must consider the different stages of a process and the people involved along the way. In order to make sure the rules remain understandable to everyone, we have been as specific as possible and as general as necessary. It makes little sense to formulate such rules behind closed doors and without referring to any practical application. Therefore, we have had the quality criteria of a binding code of professional ethics such as the Hippocratic Oath and the Press Code analyzed. Findings show that participatory approaches to development are one of the most important factors of success with such codes. Our work therefore focuses on developing the rules together with a large number and diverse group of individuals and organizations who, as part of an open and dynamic process, contribute their knowledge. This includes IT experts and representatives of other disciplines such as the humanities and law, as well as individuals who work in politics, civil society and business. The effects of algorithmic systems concern us all. This is why, in addition to our workshops and consultations with experts, we have engaged with the broader public through an open online survey and by discussing the Algo.Rules on panels and at meetups. The Algo.Rules are a joint effort. The process by which the Algo.Rules are developed is coordinated by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the think tank iRights.Lab. We have defined nine Algo.Rules. Currently, we are working on models for the practical application of each rule. This involves refining the Algo.Rules for three so-called focus groups and the context of their application: developers of algorithmic systems, executives in companies and the public sector. Our aim here is to clarify what the Algo.Rules mean for each group and how the rules could be implemented in practice.