Russia thinks about accountability mechanism for AI mistakes
“We should legally provide a digital breakthrough”
Issues of the adoption of an AI code of ethics in legislation and a mechanism of compensation for the damage caused by AI were discussed in Innopolis at a meeting of the Board of Digital Economy Development. First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Turchak urged the audience to make any decisions on artificial intelligence regarding citizens transparent and disputable.
“We should legally provide a digital breakthrough, the development of artificial intelligence technologies, provide the adoption of all necessary laws, regulations so that this topic isn’t stalled, on the one hand, to answer the main question our citizens have, it is the safety of the use of technologies and personal data protection,” Turchak noted.
He put an example of public transport where passengers are notified about being filmed.
“When receiving some services, a person should clearly understand that the solution is made with artificial intelligence technologies and must have the possibility of challenging this solution with a live person,” noted the Federation Council’s vice speaker.
For this purpose, the council also recommended introducing an AI code of ethics, which was developed on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative and adopted by leading Russian IT companies in late October. The latter commit themselves to be responsible for the influence of AI systems on society and recognise that human rights and freedoms are the main value when developing artificial intelligence.
“We offer to impose a legislative ban on added parameters discriminating citizens on some grounds to AI technologies,” Turchak claimed.
The Federation Council also recommended the Russian Ministry of Economic Development create a mechanism of a preliminary evaluation of consequences of the introduction of AI technologies to exclude the negative impact on human and citizen’s rights. The Council offered to adopt a roadmap for the regulation:
“There are a lot of issues requiring a legislative solution in AI. Particularly, it is necessary to clearly define the legal content of the term artificial intelligence itself, to envisage copyright,” Turchak indicated.
Also, the Council urged them to develop a mechanism of compensation for using AI. Damage insurance is meant. Corresponding recommendations were sent to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Central Bank.
According to the first vice speaker of the Federation Council, it is necessary to clearly understand who will be held accountable for mistakes of artificial intelligence.
AI to reduce the administrative burden on teachers
The issue of the application of AI was raised too. Corresponding technologies were offered to be introduced in voice assistants that now help to obtain necessary information without turning to the operator. Now they are used in profit organisations and can be used in housing and utilities and other organisations.
They also want to create stores without salespeople based on AI technologies. The council recommended the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Economic Development to create requirements for automated commerce, planning, equipment, storage and sale of goods. The board thinks AI can come in handy to introduce digital educational services. This is also recommended to reduce the excessive administrative burden on teachers. Offline education stays with us and remains a priority, while technologies can be used in situations when it is impossible to give classes offline.
Finally, it was offered to use artificial intelligence to create budget indicators and make forecasts for Russia’s development. The offers were sent to the Ministry of Finance and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.
“A colossal deficit of staff”
Next year the meeting of the Board of Digital Economy Development will be dedicated to the training and retraining of staff to work in digital transformation and jobless staff after the introduction of digital technologies, digital transformation of the agro-industrial complex and digitalisation of representative power, the introduction of Digital Parliament project, including in regions.
“There is a colossal deficit of staff, the task of retaining staff in all speeches delivered today has been voiced. The minister of digital development agrees with this position. Therefore let’s meet to talk about this topic and find a solution,” Turchak offered.