Business Roundtable on Human Rights & AI

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence have prompted increased discussion around the importance of protecting human rights that may be affected by the technology. However, after surveying over 100 documents in academia, policy, and industry, the Nuffield Foundation concluded that:

Most of the principles proposed for AI ethics are not specific enough to be action-guiding. While these principles do reflect agreement about which aims are important and desirable as the development and use of [algorithms, data and AI] technologies advance, they do not provide practical guidance to think through new and challenging situations.

— The Nuffield Foundation, “Ethical & Societal Implications of Algorithms, Data, & Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Research”, 2019

Seeking to promote collaboration and action across the tech, business, and human rights communities, Article One launched the Business Roundtable on Human Rights & AI in June 2018. The Roundtable brings together representatives from companies at the forefront of AI development today to share common challenges, potential solutions, and goals for the future.  

OBJECTIVES

Through facilitated discussions, research, and stakeholder engagement, the Roundtable pursues three primary objectives:

  1. Facilitate cross-company learning to ensure technology companies are able to effectively surface and manage human rights risks related to the development and deployment of AI.
  2. Ensure that the human rights framework is reflected in the ethical AI debate and efforts to define standards.
  3. Support direct engagement with Human Rights and AI thought leaders to ensure the Business Roundtable receives timely updates from stakeholders, input into salient human rights challenges, and recommendations for effective management and broader dialogue.

FROM PRINCIPLES TO PRACTICE

During the Roundtable series, participants identified a gap in operational guidance for best practices of human rights due diligence related to the development and deployment of AI. This page will serve as a resource for Roundtable participants and other stakeholders with actionable guidance for applying the human rights lens to risk mitigation of AI technologies.

CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY

This page will be a living document that will evolve with emerging technologies and standards. To contribute your case study or work, please contact us at hello@articleoneadvisors.com.