Regulation and ethics in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies: Where are we now? Who is responsible? Can the information professional play a role?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are rapidly maturing and proliferating through all public and private sectors. The potential for these technologies to do good and to help us in our everyday lives is immense. But there is a risk that unless managed and controlled AI can also cause us harm. Questions about regulation, what form it takes and who is responsible for governance are only just beginning to be answered. In May 2019, 42 countries came together to support a global governance framework for AI. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Principles on Artificial Intelligence (OECD (2019) OECD principles on AI. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/going-digital/ai/principles/ (accessed 2 March 2020)) saw like-minded democracies of the world commit to common AI values of trust and respect. In Europe, the European Commission’s (EC) new president, Ursula von der Leyen has made calls for a General Data Protection Regulation style. As a first step the EC has published a white paper: ‘On Artificial Intelligence – A European Approach to Excellence and Trust’ (European Commission (2020) Report, Europa, February). In February 2020, the UK government has published a report on ‘Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector’ (The Committee on Standards in Public Life (2020) Artificial intelligence and public standards. Report, UK Government, February). This article discusses some of the potential threats AI may hold if left unregulated. It provides a brief overview of the regulatory activities for AI worldwide, and in more detail the current UK AI regulatory landscape. Finally, the article looks at the role that the information professional might play in AI and ML.