IEEE - Wellbeing Metrics for AI (7010-2020)

IEEE 7010-2020 Wellbeing Metrics Standard for Ethical AI and Autonomous Systems

IEEE

RAI-X1-GO-I7WMEXX-2020

In Force(In Force)As published at ethicsinaction.ieee.org · checked 9 Sep 2026

IEEE - Wellbeing Metrics for AI (7010-2020) is In Force in IEEE as of 9 Sep 2026, according to standards.ieee.org.

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IEEE standard establishing wellbeing metrics for assessing impacts of AI and autonomous systems on human wellbeing.

Summary

IEEE 7010-2020 establishes wellbeing metrics relating to human factors directly affected by intelligent and autonomous systems. It provides a framework for measuring and evaluating how AI systems impact human wellbeing across multiple dimensions including physical, psychological, and social aspects. The standard supports ethical AI development by enabling quantitative assessment of human impacts.

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Plain English

The IEEE 7010-2020 standard offers a framework for measuring how artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems impact human wellbeing, applying to any organization or team developing or deploying these technologies who wishes to assess their ethical footprint.

Published in 2020, this standard is designed to help product managers, founders, and in-house teams understand and quantify the human effects of their AI systems. While voluntary, it provides a structured approach to ethical AI development by focusing on five key areas of wellbeing: physical, psychological, social, environmental, and economic. For those who choose to adopt it, the core "obligation" involves a systematic process: - Selecting relevant wellbeing metrics from the standard's guidance. - Establishing clear methodologies for collecting the necessary data. - Developing an analytical framework to interpret the collected data. - Fulfilling reporting requirements to document findings and demonstrate impact.

The standard became effective immediately upon its publication, meaning organizations can implement its guidelines on an ongoing basis. Crucially, as an IEEE standard, it carries no direct legal penalties or enforcement mechanisms. Its "teeth" are primarily reputational and ethical; adopting it signals a commitment to responsible AI, which can be vital for building user trust and meeting stakeholder expectations in an increasingly regulated landscape.

A practical pitfall for teams is the sheer breadth of "wellbeing" and the challenge of consistently collecting meaningful data across all five categories. While the standard provides guidance, translating these broad concepts into actionable, measurable metrics and integrating them into product development cycles requires significant effort and commitment. Teams might find themselves grappling with how to quantify subjective experiences or indirect environmental and economic impacts, making thorough implementation a complex, ongoing endeavor rather than a one-time checklist item.

Plain-English rewrite by Regulations.ai — not legal advice. Verify against the official text.

Overview

IEEE 7010-2020 provides wellbeing metrics for AI and autonomous systems. It enables measurement of human impacts. See IEEE Ethics in Action.

Definitions

Wellbeing: State of being comfortable, healthy, or happy
Wellbeing Metrics: Quantifiable measures of human wellbeing

Governance and Institutional Framework

IEEE Standards Association: Publisher
P7010 Working Group: Development team

Key Focus Areas

Physical wellbeing indicators
Psychological wellbeing metrics
Social wellbeing measures
Environmental wellbeing factors
Economic wellbeing assessment

Implementation Framework

Metric selection
Data collection methodology
Analysis framework
Reporting requirements

Monitoring and Evaluation

Ongoing measurement
Trend analysis

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

Voluntary standard for assessment.

Relationship to Other Instruments

Part of IEEE 7000 series
Complements IEEE 7000-2021

International Alignment

International standard for wellbeing assessment.

Implementation Timeline

Date	Milestone	Status
2020	Standard published	Completed

Sources and References

Document	Type	Link
IEEE 7010-2020	Standard	IEEE

Requirements for a company

What an organisation has to do under IEEE - Wellbeing Metrics for AI (7010-2020), at a glance. Not legal advice — the table below gives the provision and deadline for each item.

Must do

Nothing in this category.

Must not do

Nothing in this category.

Should do

Deploy wellbeing metrics for AI and autonomous systems.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
Select appropriate wellbeing metrics for assessment.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
Establish a robust data collection methodology.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
Develop an analysis framework for collected data.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
Define clear reporting requirements for wellbeing assessments.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
Conduct ongoing measurement of wellbeing impacts.Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.
+1 more in the table below

Should not do

Nothing in this category.

Who must do what

The obligations under IEEE - Wellbeing Metrics for AI (7010-2020), most serious first. Not legal advice — verify against the official text before relying on it.

#	Who	Requirement	By when	Where	Severity
1	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Deploy wellbeing metrics for AI and autonomous systems. “Deploy wellbeing metrics”	Ongoing	Compliance Checklist	Recommended
2	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Select appropriate wellbeing metrics for assessment. “Metric selection”	Before assessment begins	Implementation Framework	Recommended
3	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Establish a robust data collection methodology. “Data collection methodology”	Before data collection begins	Implementation Framework	Recommended
4	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Develop an analysis framework for collected data. “Analysis framework”	Before data analysis	Implementation Framework	Recommended
5	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Define clear reporting requirements for wellbeing assessments. “Reporting requirements”	Before reporting	Implementation Framework	Recommended
6	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Conduct ongoing measurement of wellbeing impacts. “Ongoing measurement”	Ongoing	Monitoring and Evaluation	Recommended
7	Organizations applying the IEEE 7010 standard.	Perform trend analysis on wellbeing measurement data. “Trend analysis”	Ongoing	Monitoring and Evaluation	Recommended

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