Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Rights: Document Pool

Find in this doc pool all EDRi analyses and documents related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and fundamental rights

By EDRi · April 12, 2021

Artificial Intelligence, if governed incorrectly, is a growing concern for all who care about digital and human rights. AI systems have the ability to exacerbate mass surveillance and intrusion into our personal lives, reflect and reinforce some of the deepest societal inequalities, fundamentally alter the delivery of public and essential services, undermine data protection legislation, and disrupt the democratic process.

In Europe, we have already seen the negative impacts of automated systems at play at the border, in predictive policing systems which only increase over-policing of racialised communities, in invasive gender, race and disability “identification” which systems;‘fraud detection’ systems which target poor, working class and migrant areas, and countless more examples.

Therefore, EDRi calls for the European Union in its upcoming regulation on AI to:

set clear red-lines on impermissable use s of AI that are incompatible with fundamental rights, such as biometric mass surveillance, predictive policing and uses of AI at the border,
ensure democratic oversight of uses of AI in the public sector,
include the strongest possible human rights protection,
and include civil society and those most affected by AI in the process.

1. EDRi analysis
2. EDRi member resources
3. EDRi articles, blogs and press releases
4. Legislative documents

European Commission
European Parliament
Studies

5. Key dates (indicative)
6. Other useful resources

4. Legislative documents

To expand the infographic, click once on it.

Artificial Intelligence Act infographic. AI systems have the ability to exacerbate mass surveillance and intrusion into our personal lives, reflect and reinforce some of the deepest societal inequalities, fundamentally alter the delivery of public and essential services, undermine data protection legislation and disrupt the democratic process. The legislative procedure for the AI Act in the European Parliament follows this sequence: It starts with the following committees giving their opinions: JURI (Legal Affairs Committee), where Axel Voss, EPP is Rapporteur, ENVI (Environment, Public Health, Food Safety Committee) where Suzana Solis Perez, Renew is Rapporteur, TRAN (Transport and Tourism Committee), where Josianne Cutajar, S&D is Rapporteur, and CULT (Culture and Education Committee), where Marcel Kolaja, Greens is Rapporteur. The opinions are sent to the two lead committees: LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee) where Dragos Tudorache, Renew is Rapporteur, and IMCO (Internal Market & Protection Committee) where Brando Benifei, S&D is Rapporteur. Alongside them the respective Shadow Rapporteurs for the IMCO Committee are: Kateřina Konečná (GUE/NGL), Kim van Sparrentak (Greens), Svenja Hahn (Renew), Deidre Clune (EPP), Kosma Złotowski (ECR). And the Shadow Rapporteurs for the LIBE Committee are: Sergey Lagodinsky (Greens), Petar Vitanov (S&D), Axel Voss (EPP), Rob Rooken (ECR), Pernando Barrena Arza (GUE/NGL). The Shadow Rapporteurs submit a report on the AI proposal, which is then discussed in trilogue negotiations with the council followed by the final vote on the legislation. EDRi and 120 organisations have called for the EU to prohibit the use of AI that violate human rights – such as biometric mass surveillance, predictive policing, and emotion recognition, put obligations on users of high-risk AI systems to facilitate accountability for those impacted, include rights and redress for those harmed by high risk AI systems. — Artificial Intelligence Act – Overview of the political process

European Commission

Communication: Building Trust in Human Centric Artificial Intelligence (08.04.2019)
White Paper on Artificial Intelligence – a European approach to excellence and trust (19.02.2020)
Consultation: White Paper on Artificial Intelligence (17.07.2020)
European Commission Artificial Intelligence Inception Impact Assessment (21.04.2021)
Commission: Regulation on a European Approach for Artificial Intelligence (Leaked)
European Commission: Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (21.04.2021)

European Parliament

European Parliament, Resolution on a civil liability regime for artificial intelligence, (2020/2014(INL))
European Parliament, Resolution on a framework of ethical aspects of artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies (2020/2012(INL))
European Parliament, Resolution on intellectual property rights for the development of artificial intelligence technologies (2020/2015(INI))
European Parliament, Report on Artificial intelligence in education, culture and the audiovisual sector (2020/2017(INI)
European Parliament Artificial intelligence in criminal law and its use by the police and judicial authorities in criminal matters (2020/2016(INI)) – forthcoming

Studies:

European Parliament,EPRS, Selection of publications on Artificial intelligence, January 2021

European Parliament, EPRS, An EU framework for artificial intelligence, October 2020.

European Parliament, EPRS, C ivil liability regime for artificial intelligence, September 2020

European Parliament, EPRS, European framework on ethical aspects of artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies, September 2020

5. Key dates (indicative)

Publication of White Paper on Artificial Intelligence – 19^th February 2020
Closing of the consultation on Artificial Intelligence – 14^th June 2020
Launch of European Commission legislative proposal on artificial intelligence – 21^st April 2021

6. Key policymakers

Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) (IMCO – lead committee)

Rapporteur: Brando BENIFEI (S&D)
Shadow Rapporteurs: Deirdre Clune (EPP); Svenja Hahn (Renew); Kim VAN SPARRENTAK (Greens/ EFA); Kateřina KONEČNÁ (The Left)

7. Other useful resources

AI Now Institute: Submission to the European Commission on“White Paper on AI – A European Approach” (14.06.2020)
Algorithm Watch: Response to the European Commission’s consultation on AI (06.2020)
Fair Trials: Regulating Artificial Intelligence for Use in Criminal Justice Systems in the EU – Policy Paper (06.2020)
Amnesty International: What is the Gangs Matrix? (18.05.2020)
Amnesty International: We Sense Trouble: Automated Discrimination and Mass Surveillance in Predictive Policing in the Netherlands (30.09.2020)
Apps Drivers and Couriers Union: Gig economy workers score historic digital rights victory against Uber and Ola Cabs (12.03.2021)
Democratic Society: Fear no more: Talking AI (02.10.2020)
European Disability Forum: Plug and Pray – A disability perspective on artificial intelligence, automated decision-making and emerging technologies (15.12.2020)
European Network Against Racism: Data Driven Policing – The hardwiring of discriminatory policing practices across Europe (11.2019)
Human rights Watch: EU Should Regulate Artificial Intelligence to Protect Rights(14.01.2021)
Politico: Europe’s artificial intelligence blindspot: Race (16.03.2021)