OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence

Author(s): 
Gabriella Horn

Over the past six months, more than 250 experts and 60 organizations from 40 countries endorsed the Universal Guidelines for AI (UGAI), the first human rights framework for AI. Signatories included the AAAS, the largest scientific society in the world, and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who himself once battled an AI, and later helped launch the OECD’s work on AI.  

OECD member countries, as well as other countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica adopted the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence -  the first international standard for AI on May 22, 2019. The OECD AI Standard aims to foster innovation and trust by promoting responsible stewardship while ensuring respect for human rights and democratic values. The OECD AI principles address fairness, accountability, and transparency and speak specifically of the need to respect "freedom, dignity and autonomy, privacy and data protection, non-discrimination and equality, diversity, fairness, social justice, and internationally recognised labour rights." The OECD AI Standard complements existing OECD standards in areas such as privacy, cryptography, digital security risk management, and responsible business conduct - standards that have shaped national law and international agreements.

The Recommendation of the Council on Artificial Intelligence is available here.