The entities in charge of resolving ethical issues in the use of data

We have already written several times before about the future of open data, the need to keep our personal data under control, the increasing relevance of algorithms in the decision-making processes that affect various aspects of our lives and, as a consequence, the need to establish clear principles and ethical guidelines related to organizations´ data management.

In this context, it is not surprising that an increasing number of public and private entities have been stablished whit the objective of guiding governments in the new scientific, technical and ethical challenges that arise due to the growing use of citizen data in public services. For example, there are several actions carried out by governments in recent months:

• The United Arab Emirates, for example, is the world´s first country to designate an artificial intelligence minister as part of its 100-year strategic national program.
• The DATAiA Institute in France, launched by the National Research Agency, brings together 130 researchers from ten national institutions. The institute aims to delve into the challenges of artificial intelligence, decision-making through data, data-based economics and digital confidence, through interdisciplinary collaboration, integration between university and business, research and training,
• The Government of the United Kingdom has also recently announced the launch of a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. This centre will work for an innovative and ethical use of data together with industry, regulators, civil society and the general public.
• The Kenyan government is not far behind and has just launched a task force, integrated by entrepreneurs, experts, academics, researchers, regulators, legal experts and private companies. This group will be in charge of guiding the government adoption of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence or blockchains, with the aim of improving government efficiency.
• As an example at the local level, the city of New York also plans the creation of a task force dedicated to monitoring the fairness of algorithms used by municipal agencies to guarantee their equity. This group will include both experts in automated systems and representatives of groups affected by those systems.

But not all initiatives in this area come from the government. In Germany, civil society is also organized to provide some insight into the most used credit rating system (SCHUFA) to apply for a loan, hire a service or rent a home, for example. Although this system manages data of more than 70 million people, its calculations are based on a totally closed algorithm protected by commercial secrecy. In this context, the OpenSCHUFA project has been launched with the aim of deciphering the functioning of the algorithm and, as a consequence, verifying the adequate use of the data and confirming that evaluations are really fair and precise.

And they are not the only ones, private and technological top companies, such as Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, IBM and Accenture, among others, academic institutions, such as New York University or multilateral organizations, such as the World Bank, are also carrying out similar initiatives.

Furthermore, similar initiatives are expected to continue emerging thanks to the growing interest and financial support provided by major donors such as Pierre Omidyar, Reid Hoffman (Linkedin), Jim Pallotta (Raptor Group), the Knight Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Together, they have created a $27 million investment fund to promote research into artificial intelligence due to public interest, including, of course, ethical considerations and accountability.

All these examples highlight the growing concern to establish guidelines, standards and reference codes of conduct that promote ethical management of data. But the variety of options is also a challenge in itself, and requires a standardization that allows creating a common code to ensure the integrity and independence of the data.

Content prepared by Carlos Iglesias, Open data Researcher and consultan, World Wide Web Foundation.

Contents and points of view expressed in this publication are the exclusive responsibility of its author.