Governance of Artificial Intelligence in the Council of Europe - AlgorithmWatch

Algorithmic systems – often referred to by the buzzword Artificial Intelligence (AI) – increasingly pervade our daily lives. They are used to detect social benefits fraud, to surveil people at the workplace, or to predict parolees' risk of reoffending. Often, these systems do not only rest on shaky scientific grounds but can be used in ways that infringe people's basic rights – like those to non-discrimination, freedom of expression, privacy, or access to justice –, can undermine foundational democratic principles, and through their non-transparent nature and the lack of accountability mechanisms can be in tension with the rule of law. Against this background and in light of its mandate, the Council of Europe has recognized the need for states to govern the development and use of AI systems. The Council of Europe is an international organization founded in 1949 with the task to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe.