Safe and Ethical AI (SEA) Platform Network · Linking Artificial Intelligence Principles (LAIP)

Responsibility and accountability

United Nations system organizations should have in place appropriate oversight, impact assessment, audit and due diligence mechanisms, including whistle blowers’ protection, to ensure accountability for the impacts of the use of AI systems throughout their lifecycle. Appropriate governance structures should be established or enhanced which attribute the ethical and legal responsibility and accountability for AIbased decisions to humans or legal entities, at any stage of the AI system’s lifecycle. Harms caused by and or through AI systems should be investigated and appropriate action taken in response. Accountability mechanisms should be communicated broadly throughout the United Nations system in order to build shared knowledge resources and capacities.

Principle: Principles for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in the United Nations System, Sept 20, 2022

Published by United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

Related Principles

6. Accountability and Integrity

There needs to be human accountability and control in the design, development, and deployment of AI systems. Deployers should be accountable for decisions made by AI systems and for the compliance with applicable laws and respect for AI ethics and principles. AI actors9 should act with integrity throughout the AI system lifecycle when designing, developing, and deploying AI systems. Deployers of AI systems should ensure the proper functioning of AI systems and its compliance with applicable laws, internal AI governance policies and ethical principles. In the event of a malfunction or misuse of the AI system that results in negative outcomes, responsible individuals should act with integrity and implement mitigating actions to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. To facilitate the allocation of responsibilities, organisations should adopt clear reporting structures for internal governance, setting out clearly the different kinds of roles and responsibilities for those involved in the AI system lifecycle. AI systems should also be designed, developed, and deployed with integrity – any errors or unethical outcomes should at minimum be documented and corrected to prevent harm to users upon deployment

Published by ASEAN in ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics, 2024

Accountability

Those responsible for the different phases of the AI system lifecycle should be identifiable and accountable for the outcomes of the AI systems, and human oversight of AI systems should be enabled. This principle aims to acknowledge the relevant organisations' and individuals’ responsibility for the outcomes of the AI systems that they design, develop, deploy and operate. The application of legal principles regarding accountability for AI systems is still developing. Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure responsibility and accountability for AI systems and their outcomes. This includes both before and after their design, development, deployment and operation. The organisation and individual accountable for the decision should be identifiable as necessary. They must consider the appropriate level of human control or oversight for the particular AI system or use case. AI systems that have a significant impact on an individual's rights should be accountable to external review, this includes providing timely, accurate, and complete information for the purposes of independent oversight bodies.

Published by Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government in AI Ethics Principles, Nov 7, 2019

Principle 7 – Accountability & Responsibility

The accountability and responsibility principle holds designers, vendors, procurers, developers, owners and assessors of AI systems and the technology itself ethically responsible and liable for the decisions and actions that may result in potential risk and negative effects on individuals and communities. Human oversight, governance, and proper management should be demonstrated across the entire AI System Lifecycle to ensure that proper mechanisms are in place to avoid harm and misuse of this technology. AI systems should never lead to people being deceived or unjustifiably impaired in their freedom of choice. The designers, developers, and people who implement the AI system should be identifiable and assume responsibility and accountability for any potential damage the technology has on individuals or communities, even if the adverse impact is unintended. The liable parties should take necessary preventive actions as well as set risk assessment and mitigation strategy to minimize the harm due to the AI system. The accountability and responsibility principle is closely related to the fairness principle. The parties responsible for the AI system should ensure that the fairness of the system is maintained and sustained through control mechanisms. All parties involved in the AI System Lifecycle should consider and action these values in their decisions and execution.

Published by SDAIA in AI Ethics Principles, Sept 14, 2022

Plan and Design:

1 This step is crucial to design or procure an AI System in an accountable and responsible manner. The ethical responsibility and liability for the outcomes of the AI system should be attributable to stakeholders who are responsible for certain actions in the AI System Lifecycle. It is essential to set a robust governance structure that defines the authorization and responsibility areas of the internal and external stakeholders without leaving any areas of uncertainty to achieve this principle. The design approach of the AI system should respect human rights, and fundamental freedoms as well as the national laws and cultural values of the kingdom. 2 Organizations can put in place additional instruments such as impact assessments, risk mitigation frameworks, audit and due diligence mechanisms, redress, and disaster recovery plans. 3 It is essential to build and design a human controlled AI system where decisions on the processes and functionality of the technology are monitored and executed, and are susceptible to intervention from authorized users. Human governance and oversight establish the necessary control and levels of autonomy through set mechanisms.

Published by SDAIA in AI Ethics Principles, Sept 14, 2022

· Responsibility and accountability

42. AI actors and Member States should respect, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, and should also promote the protection of the environment and ecosystems, assuming their respective ethical and legal responsibility, in accordance with national and international law, in particular Member States’ human rights obligations, and ethical guidance throughout the life cycle of AI systems, including with respect to AI actors within their effective territory and control. The ethical responsibility and liability for the decisions and actions based in any way on an AI system should always ultimately be attributable to AI actors corresponding to their role in the life cycle of the AI system. 43. Appropriate oversight, impact assessment, audit and due diligence mechanisms, including whistle blowers’ protection, should be developed to ensure accountability for AI systems and their impact throughout their life cycle. Both technical and institutional designs should ensure auditability and traceability of (the working of) AI systems in particular to address any conflicts with human rights norms and standards and threats to environmental and ecosystem well being.

Published by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in The Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Nov 24, 2021