The Principles for AI in Scotland
The actions we will take to realise our vision for AI in Scotland will be guided by a set of enabling principles. This is essential if AI is to earn people’s trust and make us competitive in a global marketplace where AI ethics is emerging as a key consideration.
The principles will guide the AI journey from concept to regulation and adoption to create a chain of trust throughout the entire process.
Our principles will enhance Scotland’s reputation as an ethical place to do business. This is in line with our recently published Vision for Trade and reflects our values-led approach to investment outlined in Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan: Shaping Scotland’s Economy. Also, they reflect our belief that everyone should contribute to and benefit from AI that is trustworthy, ethical and inclusive. We want the people of Scotland to have the skills and opportunities to play their part as part of a diverse workforce, and benefit from the transformations that AI will bring to our economy and ways of working.
We also need our people to be assured that the products, services and decisions enabled by AI are safe and secure and protect their rights and are free of discrimination that biased data or inadequate design or use might otherwise create..
These challenges require a response across government and for this reason we will focus on aligning our approach with the Digital Strategy and other initiatives including the Review of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem, the updated Cyber Resilience Strategy and the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.
We will be guided by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) five complementary values-based principles for the responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI:
AI should benefit people and the planet by driving inclusive growth, sustainable development and well-being.
AI systems should be designed in a way that respects the rule of law, human rights, democratic values and diversity, and they should include appropriate safeguards – for example, enabling human intervention where necessary – to ensure a fair and just society.
There should be transparency and responsible disclosure around AI systems to ensure that people understand AI-based outcomes and can challenge them.
AI systems must function in a robust, secure and safe way throughout their life cycles and potential risks should be continually assessed and managed.
Organisations and individuals developing, deploying or operating AI systems should be held accountable for their proper functioning in line with the above principles.
We recognise that AI presents specific challenges and opportunities for children. Our children interact with AI in many ways, but these systems are often not designed with their specific needs in mind. Today children live in a world where AI can help to improve their lives and, at the same time, has the potential to become a negative influence. The Scottish Government is working in partnership with UNICEF to support the Data Collaborative for Children to make sure AI benefits children in Scotland and around the world.
Scotland is to become the first devolved nation in the world to directly incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law. Recognising the specific challenges and opportunities AI presents for children, we will also adopt UNICEF’s policy guidance on AI for children which draw on the UNCRC. AI policies and systems should aim to protect children, provide equitably for their needs and rights, and empower them to participate in an AI world by contributing to the development and use of AI.
We will consider its nine requirements in our work:
Support children’s development and well-being.
Let AI help me develop to my full potential.Ensure inclusion of and for children.
Include me and those around me.Prioritise fairness and non-discrimination for children.
AI must be for all children.Protect children’s data and privacy.
Ensure my privacy in an AI world.Ensure safety for children.
I need to be safe in the AI world.Provide transparency, explainability, and accountability for children.
I need to know how AI impacts me. You need to be accountable for that.Empower governments and businesses with knowledge of AI and children’s rights.
You must know what my rights are and uphold them.Prepare children for present and future developments in AI.
If I am well prepared now, I can contribute to responsible AI for the future.Create an enabling environment.
Make it possible for all to contribute to child-centred AI.
These principles reflect our values and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. We will review them regularly to ensure they continue to do so.
In doing this, we will draw on outputs from the Ethical Digital Nation work which is being taken forward as part of Scotland’s Digital Strategy, and engage with bodies such as the UK Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation and the Information Commissioner’s Office.