Serbia Adopts Ethics Guidelines For Artificial Intelligence

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Law Firm: Schoenherr Attorneys at Law
• Subject Matter: Privacy, Technology, Data Protection, New Technology
• Author: Ms Marija Vlajkovic and Andrija Sari&#263
• Published date: 01 May 2023

On 23 March 2023, the Serbian government adopted Ethics Guidelines for the Development, Implementation and Use of Reliable and Responsible AI ("Guidelines"), which may be seen as yet another step in the process of harmonising Serbia's legislative framework with the European Union, following the Proposal for an AI Regulation announced by the EU Commission two years ago.

The Guidelines largely rely on UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI adopted in 2021, which Serbian representatives also helped create. Since the EU is awaiting its regulatory framework on AI, Serbia took the first step down this road as well.

Purpose

In adopting the Guidelines the main goal is to prevent AI systems from endangering or marginalising people and their actions, and to ensure that the freedom of action, opinion and decision-making is not violated so as to render the rights and assets that preserve those values meaningless, diminished or forgotten. As stated in the Guidelines, the use of AI should serve to improve human productivity, optimise work resources and improve quality of life.

The Guidelines set the main principles and conditions for reliable and responsible AI systems, followed by a self-assessment questionnaire filled out by the developer or user of the AI systems and recommendations for improvement in accordance with the main principles and conditions set in the Guidelines. In addition, the Guidelines identify which AI systems may be considered high-risk.

General principles and conditions for reliable and responsible AI

The Guidelines set out general principles and conditions for the creation of reliable and responsible AI that all individuals and legal entities developing, applying or using AI systems should observe.

These general principles ("General Principles") are: (i) explainability and verifiability, which emphasises the transparency of the AI system that could be checked throughout its life cycle; (ii) dignity, which means that the AI system cannot in any way lead to the subordination of humans to the functions of the system; (iii) "do not harm" principle, which means that the AI system must be safe and must contain mechanisms for avoiding damage to people and their property, as must not be used for malicious purposes; and (iv) fairness, which protects the rights and integrity of people, particularly sensitive categories (e.g. persons with disabilities).

The conditions for the creation of reliable and responsible AI are based on the above General...