Artificial intelligence and the new challenges for EU legislation

Abstract

AI systems have become pervasive in the life choices and livelihoods of people around the world, with profound impacts on human well-being that are not well understood, and include unintended consequences that are di?cult to predict, challenging our ability to respond in a way that promotes the social good1. High concentration of control over AI systems and its development has led to a greater focus on e?ciencies and shareholder value over social good in the United States and abroad. The paucity of stakeholder inputs into AI utilities and the opaqueness of data sets that power AI have led to a lack of public accountability, as well as a lack of accessibility for vulnerable communities. Despite generative AI garnering signi?cant attention with the release of ChatGPT last year, only 14% of US adults report having tried it.2 Social workers are well positioned to help individuals, organizations, and communities understand and protect their digital rights, while promoting their inclusion in the digital world. Social workers should support development of legislation enhancing guardrails, closing the digital divide, and protecting the rights for vulnerable groups using AI, such as the White Houses AI Bill of Rights, and the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), while also advocating for increased funding to develop, digital awareness, and AI literacy.3 Three broad policy recommendations are made on the basis of our review: (1) make AI policy development and applications inclusive, (2) prioritize AI literacy education, and (3) prioritize human-centric approaches.