Key findings and FRA opinions

• Author: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 5-13

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Key f‌indings and FRA opinions

New technologies have profoundly changed how we organise and live

our lives. In particular, new data-driven technologies have spurred the

development of artif‌icial intelligence (AI), including increased automation of

tasks usually carried out by humans. The COVID-19 health crisis has boosted

AI adoption and data sharing – creating new opportunities, but also challenges

and threats to human and fundamental rights.

Developments in AI have received wide attention by the media, civil

society, academia, human rights bodies and policymakers. Much of that

attention focuses on its potential to support economic growth. How different

technologies can affect fundamental rights has received less attention. To

date, we do not yet have a large body of empirical evidence about the wide

range of rights AI implicates, or about the safeguards needed to ensure that

the use of AI complies with fundamental rights in practice.

On 19 February 2020, the European Commission published aWhite Paper on

Artif‌icial Intelligence– AEuropean approach to excellence and trust. It outlines

the main principles of afuture EU regulatory framework for AI in Europe.

The White Paper notes that it is vital that such aframework is grounded in

the EU’s fundamental values, including respect for human rights–Article 2

of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

This report supports that goal by analysing fundamental rights implications

when using artif‌icial intelligence. Based on concrete ‘use cases’ of AI

in selected areas, it focuses on the situation on the ground in terms of

fundamental rights challenges and opportunities when using AI.