Policy brief
XR and General Purpose AI: from values and principles to norms and standards

In short

This policy brief explores the ethical challenges of eXtended Reality (XR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) within the expansive realm of General Purpose Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This brief, addressed to EU policymakers and global stakeholders, delves into human-machine dynamics, ethical data usage, and the urgent need for operational norms and standards in the AI domain.

The document offers important recommendations to enhance ethical practices concerning these emerging technologies and addresses issues like transparency, manipulation risks, user dignity, responsibility, autonomy levels, equitable labor conditions, decency in Generative AI, environmental impacts, and privacy concerns.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Laurynas Adomaitis (CEA), Alexei Grinbaum (CEA).

Date of publication

06 November 2023

Cite this resource

TechEthos (2023) XR and General Purpose AI: from values and principles to norms and standards. Deliverable to the European Commission. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Key messages for the ethical governance of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) research

In short

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), a type of climate engineering technique aimed at mitigating atmospheric heating by reflecting sunlight and heat back into space.

Tailored for EU policymakers and global stakeholders, this policy brief emphasizes ethical governance, international collaboration, and public engagement in SRM research.

To ensure responsible, just and sustainable SRM research, TechEthos project encourages EU policymakers to:

• Define SRM Field Testing, Deployment, and SRM Research on an international level;
• Formulate transparent and accountable EU Research Policy through politically legitimate bodies;
• Adopt a precautionary approach guided by ethical considerations when assessing the risks of SRM research policy programs;
• Include normative values like legitimacy and global justice in assessing SRM implications for human rights.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Bennet Francis, Dominic Lenzi, Michel Bourban.

Date of publication

30 October 2023

Cite this resource

TechEthos (2023) Key messages for the ethical governance of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) research. Deliverable to the European Commission. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Key messages for the ethical governance of neurotechnologies

In short

Neurotechnologies, delving into direct neural system interaction, needs ethical governance. This policy brief outlines recommendations for EU policymakers involved in legislation on neurotechnologies, medical devices, dual-use items, privacy, data protection, and AI systems.

To ensure ethical, legal, and fundamental rights in neurotechnology development, this brief details the following key messages:

• Recognize and define neurorights by incorporating them within existing EU fundamental frameworks;
• Address justice, equality, and discrimination gaps in relation to neurotechnology applications and use cases;
• Monitor and evaluate regulatory frameworks by assessing adequacy of existing regulations for emerging neurotechnology use cases, including consumer and dual-use applications;
• Consider Appropriate Legal Instruments to regulate neurotechnologies in the EU;
• Clarify regulation of AI-based neurotechnologies, specifically addressing use cases under the proposed AI Act.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Michael J. Bernstein, Wenzel Mehnert, Masafumi Nishi, Renata Mandzhieva, Alexandra Csabi, Eva Buchinger.

Date of publication

30 October 2023

Cite this resource

TechEthos (2023) Key messages on ethical values and principles for neurotechnology development and use. Deliverable to the European Commission. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Key messages for the ethical governance of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

In short

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is a pivotal climate engineering technique aiming to mitigate climate change by removing atmospheric CO2 and storing it in geological, terrestrial, or oceanic reservoirs. TechEthos, in its policy brief, delves into the regulatory challenges within EU laws and policies surrounding CDR. Addressed to European Union (EU) policymakers and officials engaged in climate-related initiatives, the recommendations are crafted to ensure ethical, rights-based, and sustainable development of CDR.

To ensure it, TechEthos project encourages EU policymakers to:

• Define the legal status of carbon removals, distinguishing them from emission reductions;
• Advocate for harmonized terms, aligning with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for clarity in discussions on climate engineering, geoengineering, carbon removal, and CDR;
• Seek clarity on CDR’s role in achieving the EU’s binding net-zero target by 2050;
• Explicitly include EU fundamental rights in policies and decision-making processes governing CDR techniques;
• Outline sustainability requirements for CDR, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the EU Taxonomy Regulation, and the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) initiative;
• Promote international collaboration for standardized removal accounting to prevent double counting, ensuring global enforcement;
• Review the adequacy of environmental liability regimes concerning CDR activities, including research and deployment.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Bennet Francis, Dominic Lenzi, Michel Bourban.

Date of publication

30 October 2023

Cite this resource

TechEthos (2023) Key messages for the ethical governance of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Deliverable to the European Commission. Available at: www.techethos.eu.

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Neurotechnologies

In short

Neurotechnologies refers to devices and procedures used to access, monitor, investigate, assess, manipulate, and/or emulate the structure and function of the neural systems of natural persons.

This policy brief sets out recommendations based on the regulatory priorities related to neurotechnologies that were identified in our analysis of EU laws and policies. We address them to EU policymakers and officials involved in the preparation of legislative or policy initiatives related to neurotechnologies, medical devices, dual-use items, privacy and data protection, and AI systems.

To protect and uphold ethical, legal and fundamental rights considerations in the development and deployment of neurotechnologies, TechEthos encourages policy makers to:

• Recognise and define neurorights within the EU’s existing fundamental rights frameworks;
• Clarify the legal status of brain and other neural data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR);
• Address justice, equality and discrimination gaps in neurotechnology applications and use cases;
• Monitor and evaluate the adequacy of existing regulatory frameworks governing emerging use cases of neurotechnologies, such as consumer and dual-use applications;
• Consider the appropriate types of legal or policy instruments for the regulation of neurotechnologies in the EU;
• Clarify the regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based neurotechnologies and consider specific use cases in the classification of neurotechnologies under the proposed AI Act.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI.

Date of publication

28 February 2023

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., Howkins, B. (2023). Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Neurotechnologies. Extract from Deliverable 6.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Digital Extended Reality

In short

Digital Extended Reality (XR) technologies technologies combine advanced computing systems (hardware and software) that can change how people connect with each other and their surroundings and influence or manipulate human actions through interactions with virtual environments.

This policy brief sets out recommendations based on the regulatory priorities – including privacy and data protection, the regulation of AI and harmful online content, freedom of expression, non-discrimination, and the protection of special categories of persons, especially children – identified in our analysis of EU laws and policies. We address them to EU policymakers and officials involved in the preparation of legislative or policy initiatives related to XR, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), the metaverse, natural language processing (NLP), privacy and data protection, and AI systems.

To protect and uphold ethical, legal and fundamental rights and sustainability considerations in the development and deployment of XR, TechEthos encourages policy makers to:

• Promote EU fundamental rights and encourage the adoption of ethics-by-design approaches;
• Broaden the scope of Article 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by removing the purpose requirement for biometric data to be classified as special category personal data;
• Develop appropriate instruments to tackle and regulate harmful online content in XR technologies;
• Consider specific use cases in the classification of XR technologies under the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act;
• Promote the effective enforcement, monitoring and compliance with EU laws related to XR technologies, such as the GDPR, Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the proposed AI Act.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI.

Date of publication

28 February 2023

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., Howkins, B. (2023). Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Digital Extended Reality. Extract from Deliverable 6.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Solar Radiation Modification

In short

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) refers to a type of climate engineering technique that aims to reflect sunlight and heat back into space to reduce warming.

This policy brief sets out recommendations based on the regulatory challenges related to SRM that were identified in our analysis of EU laws and policies. We address them to EU policymakers and officials involved in the preparation of legislative or policy initiatives related to climate action, climate technologies, climate engineering, geoengineering, and SRM specifically.

To protect and uphold ethical, fundamental rights and sustainability considerations in the research and development of SRM, TechEthos encourages policy makers to:

• Clarify the definition and various types of research activities that constitute SRM research;
• Determine the conditions under which – if any – research into various types of SRM may be conducted;
• Clarify the role – if any – of various types of SRM in alleviating the impacts of climate change;
• Evaluate the effects of SRM research activities on EU fundamental rights and principles;
• Collaborate internationally and evaluate existing international governance regimes

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI.

Date of publication

28 February 2023

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., Howkins, B. (2023). Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Solar Radiation Modification. Extract from Deliverable 6.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share:

Policy brief
Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Removal

In short

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is a type of climate engineering technique, also known as “negative emissions techniques”, that removes atmospheric CO2 and stores it in geological, terrestrial, or oceanic reservoirs.

This policy brief sets out recommendations based on the regulatory challenges related to CDR that were identified in our analysis of EU laws and policies. We address them to EU policymakers and officials involved in the preparation of legislative or policy initiatives related to climate action, climate technologies, climate engineering, geoengineering, carbon removal, and CDR specifically.

To protect and uphold ethical, fundamental rights and sustainability considerations in the research, development and deployment of CDR, TechEthos encourages policy makers to:

• Clarify the EU’s terminology and rationale for the use of terms, including climate engineering, geoengineering, carbon removal and CDR, and pursue the harmonisation of terms to bring them in line with the terminology of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
• Clarify what role – if any – CDR has to play in meeting the EU’s legally binding target of net-zero by 2050;
• Explicitly incorporate EU fundamental rights into policies and decision-making processes governing CDR techniques in the EU;
• Clarify the legal status of carbon removals and recognise them as distinct from emission reductions;
• Define the sustainability requirements for CDR, particularly those in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the EU Taxonomy Regulation, and the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) initiative;
• Pursue greater international collaboration in relation to CDR to promote the standardisation of removal accounting to avoid double counting, and the enforcement of such standards;
• Review the adequacy of environmental liability regimes in relation to CDR activities in the EU, including research and deployment.

Find out more about each recommendation by downloading the policy brief below.

Author

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI.

Date of publication

28 February 2023

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., Howkins, B. (2023). Enhancing EU legal frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Removal. Extract from Deliverable 6.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share:

Publication
Enhancing EU law on emerging technologies: Our recommendations

In short

This report presents a series of policy briefs which offer recommendations to policymakers at the EU level to enhance legal frameworks for the governance of climate engineering (Carbon Dioxide Removal – CDR – and Solar Radiation Modification – SRM), neurotechnologies and digital extended reality (XR).

The recommendations are based on the legal and policy analysis of TechEthos: an in-depth look at international and EU law and policy and a series of national legal case studies. These findings were discussed and validated through consultation meetings with 14 policymakers at the European Commission.

Authors

Julie Vinders, Trilateral Research (TRI), Ben Howkins, TRI

Date of publication

28 February 2023

Status

Draft version submitted to the European Commission for review

Cite this resource

Vinders, J., Howkins, B. (2023). Policy briefs on enhancing EU legal frameworks. Deliverable 6.2 for the European Commission. TechEthos Project Deliverable. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share:

Policy brief
XR and General Purpose AI: from values and principles to norms and standards

In short

The TechEthos project addressed the ethical challenges of eXtended Reality and Natural Language Processing. These topics belong to the larger area of General Purpose Artificial Intelligence.

We take the position that values and principles are not enough for AI regulation. European policy makers should go beyond merely listing such values and principles, because manufacturers may not immediately understand how to implement them in the design of AI systems. For EU regulation to be effective, we offer an operationalization of the values and principles in the form of suggested norms and standards.

This policy brief lists new and emerging issues to supplement, enhance and update the Assessment List for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (ALTAI) developed by the High-Level Expert Group on AI. Based on our analysis, we formulate specific recommendations for AI regulation.

Authors

Laurynas Adomaitis, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Alexei Grinbaum, CEA.

Date of publication

22 February 2023

Cite this resource

Adomaitis, L. and Grinbaum A. (2023). XR and General Purpose AI: from values and principles to norms and standards. TechEthos Project Policy Brief. Available at: www.techethos.eu

Download

Share: