AI4People Institute
AI4People Institute brings together academia, global businesses, civil society organizations and governments to consider the risks of AI and advocate for responsible and beneficial AI development and deployment. With its Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society AI4People is at the origin of the regulatory process that led to the AI Act in Europe, the world's first AI regulation.
AI4People Institute was launched at the European Parliament in February 2018 as a pioneering research/policy initiative by Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, Robert Madelin and Professor Luciano Floridi to shape the debate on AI Ethics in the European Union and prompt European institutions to act quickly to stem future AI risks in years where no government had yet addressed this crucial issue. Its action is at the origin of the regulatory process that led to the AI Act in Europe, the world’s first AI regulation.
We have influenced the area of Trustworthy AI and AI Governance in Europe significantly with our original 2018 AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society. The report was presented to the European Parliament by Tony Blair and was fully adopted by the High-Level Expert Group on AI, the expert group created by the European Commission afterwards.
AI4People Institute focuses on various aspects related to AI Safety, including ethics, policy, governance, privacy, inclusivity, and the responsible use of AI.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Ethical
Frameworks
Developing ethical guidelines and frameworks to guide the development and application of AI, emphasizing fairness, transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.
Public Awareness and Education
Raising awareness among the public regarding AI’s potential and challenges, fostering understanding, and promoting informed discussions on its societal impact.
Policy
Recommendations
Providing recommendations to policymakers and regulatory bodies to develop appropriate laws and regulations that govern AI usage, ensuring it aligns with societal values and objectives.
Inclusivity and
Diversity
Encouraging diverse perspectives and inclusivity in AI development to minimize bias and enhance AI systems’ understanding and representation of all individuals.
Privacy and
Data Protection
Advocating for robust data privacy measures and emphasizing the importance of securing and protecting individuals’ data in AI applications.
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
Facilitating collaboration among stakeholders, sharing best practices, research findings, and insights to foster a collective effort towards responsible AI.
WHY
Following the Atomium’s Next Generation Internet Summit at the European Parliament AI4People Institute was established in 2018 to shape the debate on AI Ethics in the European Union and prompt European institutions to act quickly to stem future AI risks.
WHAT
AI4People Institute’s first year of activity led to the “AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations”, presented to the European Parliament in December 2018.
The paper “AI4People—An Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations”, published in 2018 in the journal Minds and Machines, is one of the most influential contributions in the contemporary phase of artificial intelligence ethics.
Since its publication it has enjoyed very wide dissemination:
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about 2517 citations according to Springer and 956 citations according to Scopus;
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around 261,000 “accesses” (page views or PDF downloads) on Springer;
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open access, therefore freely available to researchers, policymakers, students, and professionals.
These data show that the paper is not only highly cited in academia, but also widely read and used as a reference in scientific literature, public policy, and the governance of AI.
The work emerged within the initiative of the AI4People Institute with the aim of defining an ethical, legal, and policy framework to guide AI development in a socially beneficial direction.
Why is the AI4People Ethical Framework so influential?
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It is one of the most cited and influential ethical frameworks in the most recent phase (post-2016) of the AI ethics debate.
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It marked a turning point in the shift from academic AI ethics to public policy, with a significant impact on the governance of AI.
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It is considered a foundational document in formalizing European ethical guidelines on AI, anticipating themes later taken up in the EU Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI (2019) of the European Commission and laying the groundwork for the regulatory phase that led to the AI Act.
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It provides a central reference in contemporary literature on ethical principles for AI systems (beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, explicability).
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Its open-access nature and the high number of accesses and citations demonstrate both its scientific relevance and practical interest, making it a concrete reference tool for policies, regulations, and ethical implementations.
Committees
Vertical Committees
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
AI4People’s Playbook: Implementing a Proportional Approach to Ethical AI Requirements.
On December 2nd, at the AI4People Advancing Ethical AI Governance Summit, we presented the AI4People’s Playbook: Implementing a Proportional Approach to Ethical AI Requirements.
This publication represents an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote the responsible development and deployment of AI systems across sectors.
The aim of the Playbook is to promote a balanced and pragmatic approach to core ethical principles, one that goes “beyond regulatory compliance”. By offering actionable recommendations, highlighting existing resources, and showcasing real-world use cases and activities, the guidance emphasizes that adopting an ethical perspective is the most effective way to prevent costly mistakes.
The AI4People Playbook breaks down AI ethics into actionable steps, and it includes instructions and practical material to support capacity-building activities, empowering you to put principles into practice effectively. While many resources support responsible AI, from the AI Office’s GPAI Code of Practice to various global standards and simplified guides, this playbook stands out for its clear, straightforward message: AI ethics goes beyond compliance, and can be applied proportionally, regardless of how your AI system is classified.
This Playbook is designed for a broad range of audiences involved in developing or interacting with AI systems. Whether you are new to AI ethics or an experienced professional looking for practical guidance, this playbook intends to provide valuable information, hands-on activities, and a curated list of resources to support you.
This playbook is intended as a beta version, and a living document. It will continue to evolve with the growing capabilities of AI, input from users, stakeholders, and interested parties.
We look forward to continuing this work collaboratively and refining the Playbook together with the wider community: please share your thoughts with us at info@ai4people.org
OUR PUBLICATIONS
Explore our publications resulting from top academic and business expertise
The AI4People Playbook: Implementing a Proportional Approach to Ethical AI Requirements Copy
This publication represents an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote the responsible development and deployment of AI systems across sectors.
The aim of the Playbook is to promote a balanced and pragmatic approach to core ethical principles, one that goes “beyond regulatory compliance”. By offering actionable recommendations, highlighting existing resources, and showcasing real-world use cases and activities, the guidance emphasizes that adopting an ethical perspective is the most effective way to prevent costly mistakes.
AI4People’s Towards an Ethics by Design Approach for AI
The AI4People Institute "Towards an Ethics by Design Approach for AI” Whitepaper outlines a so called “Ethics by Design ” approach aimed to provide guidance to organizations, public or private, small or large enterprises, in proactively designing, developing and maintaining Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in accordance with the laws, ethical, moral principles and values that underpin the European Union.
The paper provides a step-by-step description of an Ethics by Design process and criteria to assess lawfulness and ethical principles to embed them into all AI system development lifecycle phases, by adopting pragmatic and operational Ethics by Design requirements, ensuring these are developed in an accountable manner.
AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society: Opportunities, Risks, Principles, and Recommendations
The AI4People’s Ethical Framework for a Good AI Society reports the first findings of AI4People Institute. This crucial result reached by a Scientific Committee led by Luciano Floridi was adopted by the High-Level Expert Group on AI of the European Commission in 2019 and underpins the regulatory process that led to the AI Act, the world’s first regulation of AI.
The Report introduce the core opportunities and risks of AI for society; present a synthesis of five ethical principles that should undergird its development and adoption; and offer 20 concrete recommendations to assess, to develop, to incentivise, and to support good AI.
On Good AI Governance: 14 Priority Actions, a S.M.A.R.T. Model of Governance, and a Regulatory Toolbox
AI4People’s second year of activities has focused on applying – concretely, in real world scenarios and through appropriate governance – those ethical principles of AI announced by AI4People in 2018. The 2019 White Paper gives shape to – whilst establishing priorities and critical issues – 14 Priority Actions, a Model of S.M.A.R.T. Governance and a Regulatory Toolbox, to which governments and businesses alike can refer to – immediately and efficiently.
AI4People’s 7 AI Global Frameworks
Following its past work on AI ethics and on AI governance (with the “AI4People’s Report on Good AI Governance: 14 Priority Actions, a AI4People’s 7 AI Global FrameworksS.M.A.R.T. Model of Governance, and a Regulatory Toolbox”), AI4People Institute has identified seven strategic sectors – Automotive, Banking & Finance, Energy, Healthcare, Insurance, Legal Service, Industry, Media & Technology – for the deployment of ethical AI, appointing 7 different committees to analyze how can trustworthy AI be implemented in these sectors: the AI4People’s 7 AI Global Frameworks are the result of this effort.
For more information please mail to: info@ai4people.org
AI4People Institute is registered in the EU Transparency Register under the number 343652748893-89
