IEEE launches Ethics Certification Program for AI

IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) are launching an the Ethics Certification Program for Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (ECPAIS).

The idea is to offer a process and define a series of marks by which organizations can seek certified A/IS products, systems and services.

“It becomes more and more evident that consumers and citizens of the world are expecting technology to conform with ethical principles beyond functionality,” said Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director of IEEE-SA. “IEEE is one of the first global organizations to recognize the importance of certified accountability, transparency and reduction of algorithmic bias as being a critical enabler for A/IS value realization. This is also why the formation of ECPAIS complements the series of our IEEE P7000™ standard projects, along with all our A/IS Ethics work.”

“Today’s technology ecosystem calls for solutions that secure fair and transparent A/IS development, and Finland is at the forefront of key global efforts to move ethical A/IS from principles to pragmatism through close public-private partnership,” noted Meeri Haataja, chair of Ethics Working Group in Finland’s AI Program, and chair of ECPAIS. “Moving forward, A/IS need certifiable processes supported by a trusted organization that establishes easily identifiable marks, in order to signal high levels of reliability and safety to the general public. As chair of this groundbreaking IEEE program, I am honored to more broadly share and further incentivize Finland’s, and Europe’s, forward-thinking push to secure certifiably ethical A/IS.”