Fair Trials joins over 50 organisations to call on the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence to draw on the knowledge and expertise of civil society. The collective statement, published today, calls for a clear and defined participation strategy in the processes and policy development related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), including formal channels of dialogue with the Spanish government. It also encourages a public debate about the governance of algorithms that puts respect for human rights and social justice at the centre.
The creation of the agency in 2022 is welcome news, particularly as Spain will assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year. Spain has also offered to be a pilot country to examine the new AI Act currently being discussed in the EU. Fair Trials has been campaigning for an AI Act that respects human rights, including an outright ban on predictive systems in policing and criminal justice. Such systems are known to reinforce discrimination and undermine fundamental rights.
As the creation of the Spanish agency is “a historic opportunity to put Spain at the forefront of innovation in strict respect for human rights”, it would be “incomprehensible” for the government not to take advantage of the expertise of civil society, says the joint statement.
Read the full statement here.
