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Experts have called today to prioritize the defense of the right to data protection and human rights in general in the development of high-risk technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate a great impact on citizens. It has been in the framework of a conference organized by the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) to precisely talk about the impact assessment on human rights of high-risk technologies (AIDH), a tool that will be fundamental with the new AI regulation developed by the EU.
The conference was attended by Alessandro Mantelero, member of the Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic University of Turin, scientific expert for the ethical evaluation of the European Research Council (ERC), expert of the European Data Protection Board and professor of Private Law and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair of Mediterranean Digital Societies and Law at the Polytechnic University of Turin.
During the welcome to the event, the director of the APDCAT, Meritxell Borràs, has assured that we must advance in the knowledge on practical methods that help us to face the protection of rights and freedoms when processing personal data, especially with the use of emerging technologies. Thus, it has highlighted methodologies and models for evaluating the impacts of AI on rights and freedoms that can be useful, such as those proposed by the expert Alessandro Mantelero. Borràs has defended the precautionary principle in the face of the uncertainty generated by emerging technologies and their potential impacts, to protect people and continue advancing at the same time.
Human rights, artificial intelligence and new technologies
During his speech on human rights, artificial intelligence and new technologies, Alessandro Mantelero has provided an eminently practical vision to deepen how to evaluate the impact on human rights of high-risk technologies, through practical cases.
Mantelero has highlighted the central role of data protection in the framework of the digital society, increasingly based on the use of massive data and artificial intelligence tools. The expert recalled that the right to data protection facilitates the protection of many other fundamental rights and freedoms, such as citizen participation, freedom of expression and non-discrimination. Therefore, he said that it is necessary to adapt the tools to evaluate and manage the impact of new technologies. In this sense, he has argued that it is key to define impact assessment models with a broad scope, which focus on the variety of consequences of the use of data.
Human rights impact assessment (IAHR) is a tool intended to play a key role in the framework of AI regulation. It is applied in high-risk AI solutions, but is also applicable in other high-impact ICT projects. Although the IAHR is already applied at the enterprise level, it is basically a strategy tool and not a measure of the level of impact.
The Catalan Data Protection Authority has organized an open day to deepen the impact on human rights of high-risk technologies such as artificial intelligence, with the participation of expert Alessandro Mantelero.