City of Vienna Earns IEEE AI Ethics Certification Mark; Reinforcing Commitment to Digital Humanism Strategy

PISCATAWAY, NJ, 15 November 2021 – IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) today announced that the City of Vienna has become the first city worldwide to earn the IEEE CertifiAIEd AI Ethics (AIE) Certification Mark to advance the city’s Digital Humanism strategy.

“With artificial intelligence, we can make many tasks in administration more efficient and faster. As the City of Vienna, we are taking on a pioneering role here,” says Peter Hanke, City Councillor for Economic Affairs. “Particularly in direct contact with people and especially in dealing with data, caution is required. People are at the center of our considerations.”

The IEEE CertifAIEd mark recognizes that a product, service, or system has been verified to meet relevant ethical criteria, contributing towards a greater level of confidence and demonstrating a proactive approach to building public trust in AI systems. There are currently four sets of criteria available for IEEE CertifiAIEd certification:

• Transparency criteria relate to values embedded in a system design, and the openness and disclosure of choices made for development and operation.
• Accountability criteria recognize that the system/service autonomy and learning capacities are the results of algorithms and computational processes designed by humans and organizations that remain responsible for their outcomes.
• Algorithmic bias criteria relate to the prevention of systematic errors and repeatable undesirable behaviors that create unfair outcomes.
• Privacy criteria are aimed at respecting the private sphere of life and public identity of an individual, group, or community, upholding dignity.

“IEEE has laid the groundwork for AI Ethics based on principles and standards created by hundreds of our volunteers over the past five years, which are already having a global impact,” said Konstantinos Karachalios, Managing Director of IEEE SA. “IEEE CertifAIEd represents our continued evolution of the AI Ethics ecosystem by establishing a program to inspire trust and a means towards responsible implementation of AI systems that demonstrates an organization’s commitment to upholding human values, dignity, and well-being, and to respecting, protecting, and preserving fundamental human rights. We are honored to work with the City of Vienna to support their Digital Humanism platform and to provide the mark for responsible innovation required in today’s world to inspire certified trust for their AI Systems.”

IEEE’s CertifAIEd program aims to enhance confidence in public and private enterprises that realize the benefits of AI ethics by earning certification in the absence of or as a complement to broadly accepted and enforced regulations for AI. As proposed legislation in the EU would require conformity certification for any AI based systems to mitigate any unintended risks, the City of Vienna is addressing these risks and demonstrating the benefits of responsible government innovation by earning the IEEE CertifAIEd mark. In doing so, it sets a precedent for other cities and entities to achieve their aims in a responsible and human-centric manner.

“Data security and data protection must be at the forefront when using AI from the very beginning. That’s why we relied on international expertise during the development of the software and had our program ethically certified,” said Deputy Director General, Peter Weinelt.

Cities, entities, and individuals interested in learning more about the criteria or getting involved in the program can visit the IEEE CertifAIEd website.

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IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) is a collaborative organization where innovators raise the world’s standards for technology. IEEE SA provides a globally open, consensus-building environment and platform that empowers people to work together in the development of leading-edge, market-relevant technology standards, and industry solutions shaping a better, safer and sustainable world. For more information, visit https://standards.ieee.org.

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice in a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers, and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics. Learn more at https://www.ieee.org.