A Framework For Trustworthy AI: The EU's New Ethics Guidelines

On April 8, 2019, the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence released the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI (the "Guidelines"). The High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence is an independent group comprised of 52 members, established by the Commission and tasked with drafting the Guidelines in support of the Commission's vision of ethical, secure and cutting-edge AI made in Europe. A first draft of the Guidelines was released this past December and was subject to an open consultation which generated feedback from more than 500 contributors.

The Guidelines clearly state that they do not reflect an official position of the European Commission nor do they aim to substitute any form of current or future policymaking or regulation. Rather, the Guidelines aim to offer guidance for AI applications by building a foundation to achieve trustworthy AI. More specifically, the Guidelines are intended to be a voluntary living document