CAIDP Europe Joins & Calls for Support to Swiss Campaign for Fair and Non-Discriminatory AI

There is mounting evidence of cases of systemic discrimination triggered by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This is what the Center for AI & Digital Policy (CAIDP) has been reporting on in its AI & Democratic Values Index monitoring the public policies and practices in 80 countries. The European branch of CAIDP, CAIDP Europe, has been particularly concerned with AI-driven discrimination leading to great harm to the affected persons. The Dutch childcare benefit scandal exemplified how racial profiling baked into the design of an AI system used by the Dutch tax authorities led to the false accusation of fraud of tens of thousands of mostly law income parents. Families faced bankruptcies, forced sale of houses, homelessness, divorce, suicide and foster care placement for children. In the British Post Office scandal, almost thousand sub postmasters were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting based on the use of a faulty AI system. It resulted in court cases, criminal convictions, imprisonments, loss of livelihoods and homes, debts, and bankruptcies, illness, family breakdowns and suicides.

As for Switzerland, discrimination based on AI reproduction of gender or origin bias, is of particular concern. A Swiss study has demonstrated that these are the main sources of discrimination in recruitment. Trust in AI has also decreased in the Swiss population. In 2023, a survey revealed that 60% of the population had no trust at all in, or did not really trust, the use of AI tools.

It is in this context that the Swiss Federal Council is currently reviewing potential approaches to regulating AI. Now is the time for Switzerland to guarantee at home the same rights it has successfully defended on the international scene.

Switzerland has led the work of the Council of Europe on the first International Treaty on AI, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The treaty requires states to implement some key principles toward ensuring human-centric AI: human dignity and individual autonomy, transparency and oversight, equality and non-discrimination, privacy and personal data protection, reliability of AI systems and trust in their outputs and safe innovation, accountability and responsibility.

The Swiss government should correct existing gaps in the legislation to ensure respect for these principles and empower Swiss citizens in the digital era. This is the reason why CAIDP Europe is joining AlgorithmWatch Switzerland and 43 other organisations in urging the Swiss government to uphold "Artificial Intelligence Without Discrimination".

CAIDP Europe aims to promote a better, fairer and more just society, in which technology fosters broad social inclusion based on fundamental rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law.

“At CAIDP Europe, we believe that the benefits of AI should be accessible to all, without compromising fundamental rights or deepening societal inequalities. This aligns closely with the goals of the "Artificial Intelligence Without Discrimination" campaign.”

said Giuliano Borter, CAIDP Europe Senior Policy Officer and Administrative Director.

CAIDP Europe calls on other civil society organisations, academics, researchers and citizens to join this important initiative.

To participate, please click here. The call is open for signature until 23 September 2024.