Compliance

High-impact Use

Deployments likely to materially affect fundamental rights or access to justice.

How the laws define this

Both framework instruments agree that high-impact use centers on AI deployments capable of materially affecting fundamental rights and economic interests or livelihoods, thereby requiring heightened assessment, mitigation, and ongoing monitoring. The primary divergence lies in their domain focus and specific impact criteria. The Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Ethics Standards (National AI Ethics Standards) establishes a general scope covering individuals or groups, explicitly adding health and safety to its criteria and requiring oversight across the entire AI lifecycle. Conversely, the Resolución de Presidencia 206/2025 – Guía de Recomendaciones y Directrices para el Uso de Sistemas de Inteligencia Artificial en el Poder Judicial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires tailors its definition strictly to the judicial sector, adding impacts on procedural guarantees, liberty, and access to justice. This court guide further diverges by imposing explicit procedural gateways—such as mandatory prior authorization, DPIAs, and set threshold identification procedures—rather than relying solely on continuous lifecycle oversight.

Synthesised from the 2 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.

How jurisdictions differ

What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first.

Jurisdiction	Instrument	Status	What is distinctive
Argentina	Presidential Resolution 206/2025 – Guide of Recommendations and Directives for the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems in the Judiciary of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires	In Force	Argentina's definition specifies judicial contexts and lists procedural guarantees, liberty, and economic interests alongside fundamental rights and access to justice, with detailed procedures for identification, authorisation, testing, and monitoring.
South Korea	Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Ethics Standards	Superseded	South Korea's definition includes health and safety alongside rights and economic livelihoods, applying across the AI lifecycle without sector-specific details.

What it triggers

South Korea's standards call for heightened assessment, mitigation, and oversight measures throughout the AI lifecycle.source

Definitions (2)

A classification for AI applications whose deployment is likely to materially affect fundamental rights, procedural guarantees, liberty, economic interests or access to justice; such uses trigger mandatory prior authorization, DPIAs, enhanced testing, and stricter monitoring. The Guide sets thresholds and procedures for identifying and authorizing high-impact use-cases within the judiciary.

Resolución de Presidencia 206/2025 – Guía de Recomendaciones y Directrices para el Uso de Sistemas de Inteligencia Artificial en el Poder Judicial de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresDefinition 1 of 2

Applications or deployments of AI that can materially affect fundamental rights, health, safety, or economic livelihood of individuals or groups, and which therefore require heightened assessment, mitigation, and oversight measures throughout the AI lifecycle.

Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Ethics Standards (National AI Ethics Standards)Definition 2 of 2

Not to be confused with

High-impact (high-risk) use

High-impact (high-risk) use emphasises potential harms to rights, safety, or livelihoods, while high-impact use here focuses on material effects triggering oversight.

High‑risk application

High-risk application targets significant impacts on life, rights, or critical infrastructure, differing from high-impact use's focus on rights, safety, and livelihoods.

Questions and answers

What does high-impact use mean in South Korea's AI ethics standards?

It covers AI applications that can materially affect fundamental rights, health, safety, or economic livelihoods. The standards call for heightened assessment, mitigation, and oversight throughout the AI lifecycle.

How does high-impact use differ from high-risk terms?

High-impact use in these instruments focuses on material effects on rights and related interests with specific oversight, while related terms like high-risk use emphasise potential harms or significant impacts on life and infrastructure.