A civil association for artificial intelligence at the service of people and society has been created 

CIVIC, a new civil association to raise awareness in society about the social and environmental impacts of artificial intelligence, and to ensure this technology is at the service of people and society in an equitable and responsible manner, was presented in Barcelona on 23 March.

The association is made up of nearly 150 people from different areas of society and is chaired by Manel Sanromà. At the presentation event, Sanromà said that, “Right now, all groups are very clear that artificial intelligence is the most powerful tool that humanity has created. It can only be compared in power to the printing press and nuclear energy.”

The association wants to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed transparently, that the social and ethical implications are taken into account at the local and global level, that critical awareness of its impact is promoted, and that the public are made aware of the challenges and opportunities it presents. As they explain on their website, CIVICAI also aims to carry out consultations and make proposals to the democratic powers so they take action to ensure artificial intelligence is implemented in the defence of citizens’ rights and environmental sustainability.

To be able to tackle these challenges, the association is structured into the divisions of education and training, business and talent, ethics and rights, government and administration, universities and research, and health and welfare. This last division is headed by Susanna Aussó, the manager of the Artificial Intelligence Area at the Catalan Government’s TIC Social Health Foundation. At the event, Aussó explained the FUTURE-AI principles. She commented that “The necessary tools must be applied so that artificial intelligence is ethical, lawful and robust, and there must always be a health professional involved in decision-making.”

For more information about the objectives and commitments of the CIVICAI association, you can read the Manifesto for a Civic AI , which already has more than 250 signatures.