Artificial intelligence: Presidency of the Council issues conclusions on ensuring respect for fundamental rights

The Presidency of the Council issued presidency conclusions on the charter of fundamental rights in the context of artificial intelligence and digital change.

The text was supported or not objected to by 26 delegations.

These conclusions are designed to anchor the EU’s fundamental rights and values in the age of digitalisation, foster the EU’s digital sovereignty and actively contribute to the global debate on the use of artificial intelligence with a view to shaping the international framework.

The Presidency conclusions focus on a fundamental-rights based approach to artificial intelligence and provide guidance on dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens’ rights and justice.

The use of AI is particularly sensitive when online platforms and search engines aggregate, select and prioritise content, as the possibility to freely access information and pluralism in terms of sources of information and diversity can be at stake.

A free society needs access to diverse information, a free discourse and the exchange of different perspectives.

Dignity

Protecting and promoting fundamental rights and the underlying idea of human dignity lies at the heart of a human-centric approach to AI.