Responsible development of AI in European Union

The aim of this paper is to a give general overview of policies, guidelines and practices (projects) for responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI) developed and applied throughout the European Union (EU). Developing responsible and trustworthy AI has the potential to be one of the greatest aids in technological development, as well as human-technology interaction. Yet, it is also advised to be vigilant with the development of such all-encompassing systems that have high potential for innovation and transformative impact on society at large. Creating policies and guidelines for regulation and responsible development of AI has been one of the most important topics in the last few years amongst the scientific and legal community. With the rise of machine learning, innovation in the field of AI and uptake of smart technologies, that together facilitate the increase in efficiency and productivity of AI systems and AI-based solutions, there is a greater need to define stricter and more standardised policies and guidelines. This paper brings a unified overview, analysis and description of policies, guidelines and practices (projects) in the field of responsible AI in the EU. Also, this paper will include an overview of tools and methodologies applied in designing responsible AI, as well as an overview of guidelines and initiatives of companies developing and/or using AI systems and AI-based solutions within the borders of the EU. Special emphasis will be put on the issue of high-risk AI, i.e. potential security issues of AI (e.g. ensuring privacy and protecting sensitive data), and the importance of making algorithms compliant to social and ethical values (e.g. minimazing or avoiding bias). Known potential defects of biased coding could be interpreted as a whole new threat to privacy and socio-economic rights of EU citizens, and the more common use of advanced and complex AI technologies could make aforementioned defects even more pronounced than they are now. Since AI systems and AI-based solutions, if not regulated, could have potential titanic effect on socio-ethical foundations of society, the importance of responsible development of AI should not be dismissed or negated.
The approach to developing and applying AI systems and AI-based solutions should be based on vigilance, utter caution, transparency and minimal or limited risk. The Future of AI should be in the hands of people who will ensure that this technology enables and fosters a promising and safe future for human society.