3.2 Standards, guidelines and best practices

Various organisations have already defined standards and guidelines for different aspects of AI development.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its AI Principles in 2019 and updated them in 2024.35 These principles set out five core values: transparency, explainability, robustness, safety, and security. They also provide policy recommendations, such as investing in AI research and development.

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an AI Risk Management Framework in 2023.36 This framework helps organisations identify, assess, and manage risks associated with AI. It covers topics such as establishing a risk-aware culture, analysing risks, and developing appropriate controls.

The EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence has published ethical guidelines for trustworthy AI.37 These guidelines require AI systems to be lawful, ethical, and robust. They include seven requirements for trustworthy AI and a checklist to help organisations assess compliance.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) has translated these requirements into a practical assessment catalogue, making it easier for organisations to apply the guidelines in practice.38

In 2024, the Council of Europe adopted the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.39 This convention requires signatory states to protect human rights, democratic processes, and the rule of law throughout the AI system lifecycle.

  1. The original AI principles were followed up by a data science toolkit for implementation of the AI principles.↩︎

  2. For more information, see AI Risk Management Framework.↩︎

  3. High-Level Expert Group on AI (2019): Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.↩︎

  4. For more information, see AI assessment catalogue.↩︎

  5. For more information, see Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.↩︎