AI Ethical Principles

Abstract

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the global landscape of ‘soft law’ instruments that have been developed to date to govern the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) worldwide. Soft law instruments are non-binding frameworks, such as ethical guidelines, best practices, and recommendations, issued to exert persuasive influence on AI design, development, and utilization based on ethical principles. These instruments are issued by a diverse array of entities, including but not restricted to, governments, supra- and intergovernmental organizations, professional societies, private companies, charities, and other public or private organizations, to guide AI technologies toward responsible and ethical applications. The chapter maps similarities and differences across these instruments, and evaluates recurring ethical themes and principles on which such instruments are based. These recurrent themes revolve primarily around the ethical principles of transparency (ensuring clarity and openness in AI systems), fairness (addressing biases and promoting equity), informational privacy (safeguarding people's personal information), accountability (assigning responsibility for AI decisions), and sustainability (minimizing environmental and societal harm). The chapter explores how these themes are interpreted and applied across regions and organizations. At the same time, it highlights current challenges in the existing soft law corpus, such as inconsistent definitions, uneven geographical representation, and gaps in implementation that complicate governance efforts. Finally, the chapter also compares the flexibility and adaptability of soft law instruments to the enforceability and rigidity of hard law (legally binding regulations), discussing their respective strengths and limitations from an AI ethics and governance perspective.

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