The importance of protecting human rights, including social rights, remains all the more relevant at present, when they are put at risk from the use of computer-assisted or Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision making by public authorities in the area of social services.
In a declaration adopted on 17 March 2021, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe draws the attention of member States, inter alia to:
- the possible risks to human rights, including social rights, that might follow from the use of computer-assisted or Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision making by public authorities in the area of social services;
- the need to ensure that computer-assisted or Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision-making systems are developed and implemented in accordance with the principles of legal certainty, legality, data quality, non-discrimination and transparency;
- the need for human oversight of computer-assisted or Artificial Intelligence-enabled decisions in order to mitigate and/or avoid errors in the management;
- the need for effective arrangements to protect vulnerable persons from serious or irreparable harm.
