• G7 members have agreed to Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct on Artificial Intelligence on October 30th, calling for 11 AI risk mitigation principles to be observed by the most advanced AI system developers

• DIGITAL SME contributed to the survey on Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct organised by the European Commission, calling for even more ambition and allowing SMEs to thrive in the AI market

• Current research indicates that, by default, global General-Purpose AI developers do not provide legally binding commitments to reliability and quality of their systems, putting the burden of due diligence and risks downstream

• Future of AI, digital innovation and competitiveness will be the key topics of the upcoming DIGITAL SME Summit (November 13th 2023, Brussels), where all stakeholders are welcome to join DIGITAL SME in shaping the future of digital economy in Europe

Guiding principles and codes of conduct are among the many AI policy tools currently developed across the globe. They can serve as a baseline international agreement on how to mitigate the risks of AI while supporting innovation. Therefore, it is crucial for SMEs to submit their input into initiatives such as the survey on the G7 AI Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct organised by the European Commission, which was finalised on the October 20th.

The AI Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct agreed on by G7 members on October 30th call for positive steps, such as responsible information sharing and incident reporting, research on AI risk mitigation and protections for personal data and intellectual property.

However, DIGITAL SME, based on the previous positions and consultations with members, called for more ambitious measures. Primarily, obligations and accountability should be tier-based, depending on the size of the actor, with global actors receiving more scrutiny and sharing the proportional share of AI risk mitigation. Moreover, AI development should follow the principles of sustainability, fair access for SMEs and contribute to narrowing the AI skills gap.

These proposals need to be continuously advanced, in order for SMEs to have a fair treatment in the AI market. Ongoing research from DIGITAL SME and other varied sources such as European Parliament Research Service or Future of Life Institute indicates several risks (to personal data privacy, fairness, intellectual property etc.) associated with building downstream products on top of the existing General-Purpose AI systems. Moreover, developers of such systems use a number of measures to disclaim warranties about the quality and reliability of their systems and disclaim liabilities for damages.

The details of the survey submission can be found here. Future of AI, digital innovation and competitiveness will be among the key topics of the upcoming DIGITAL SME Summit (November 13th 2023, Brussels), featuring high-profile speakers and panellists from SMEs, European institutions and expert bodies, per agenda. We kindly invite all stakeholders to register for the event and take part in shaping the future of digital SMEs.