The topic of artificial intelligence was a primary focus at the 97th Data Protection Conference in Hambach Castle.
The conference emphasized in its “Hambach Declaration” that the use of Artificial Intelligence must be responsible to man and to his fundamental rights and freedoms.
Seven data protection requirements were identified when using artificial intelligence. These include a high degree of transparency and traceability of the results and the processes of machine-driven decisions, the principle of data minimization, compliance with earmarking, but also the avoidance of discrimination and the clear attribution of responsibilities. Furthermore, Artificial intelligence must not make people an object, so they have a claim to the intervention of a person, the statement of their point of view and the denial of the decisions made by Artificial Intelligence.
“AI is built over data and it is the controller responsibility to ensure algorithms comply with data protection rules from the very first stage of development, applying data protection by design and by default principles. On the one hand, information contained in the datasets should be collected in line with GDPR requirements and, on the other hand, the controller should make sure the data is not biased in order to avoid discriminatory and unfair results. There are some current EU initiatives that aim at settling the basis for ethical AI, which should, accordingly, respect fundamental rights, applicable regulation and core principles and values, ensure an “ethical purpose” and be technically robust and reliable”- Cristina Contero Almagro, Partner at Aphaia.
Ulrich Kelber, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, explains: “I am pleased that the Federal Government wants to ensure that fundamental rights continue to play a decisive role in the use of Artificial Intelligence. Human dignity and the fundamental right to informational self-determination enshrined in it must remain the yardstick of our actions when using such systems. With the Hambach Declaration, we, as data protection supervisory authorities, send out a clear signal for the fundamental rights-oriented use of Artificial Intelligence”.
