The European Committee for the Standardisation of Artificial Intelligence (CEN/CLC JTC 21 Artificial Intelligence) has recently approved two new action plans for AI standardisation in Europe, for the first time led by Spain.
The Committee's Plenary session approved the creation of the Preliminary Work Items (PWI): “Guidelines on tools for handling ethical issues in AI system life cycle", and “Guidance for upskilling organisations on AI ethics and social concerns", as well as their leadership by the Spanish expert Juan Pablo Peñarrubia, member of the UNE Committee on Artificial Intelligence and big data (CTN-UNE 71/SC 42) and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Professional Associations of Computer Engineering of Spain (CCII), a UNE member.
Juan Pablo Peñarrubia highlighted “the importance of influencing European international standardization in AI from Spain, given the European regulatory approach of artificial intelligence as the complementary sum of legal regulations and standardisation regulations."
Both action plans take into account the ethical use of AI, a matter which raises major social concern. The objectives are the following: To provide practical tools that enable public and private sector organisations, including users, and especially developer and supplier companies, to incorporate ethical issues into decision-making in relation to AI systems; To provide training in AI ethics in organizations, both to individuals and at an organizational level, tailored to the various obligations (managers, developers, users, etc.), sectors, (Public Administration, user companies, developer companies, etc.), sizes; etc.; and to avoid the organisational redesign of new methodologies that include ethical issues in decision-making in AI systems, and the training of organisations in the ethical use of AI systems.
Jaime Martel, President of the CTN-UNE 71/SC 42, CEO of Itelligent, and representative of AMETIC, a UNE member, underlined the essential role in European AI standardisation strategies of professionals and companies in the Spanish digital sector, and encouraged companies and experts interested to participate in the projects through the UNE National Committee.
