The rule of law is the bedrock of a flourishing society, and is essential for the promotion of our fundamental rights and freedoms, democratic foundations, social justice, security and economic development—now and in the future. As a principle, the rule of law demands a set of clear, fair, and consistent laws, promulgated through a transparent and democratic process. These laws must be applied equally to all individuals and organizations, and enforced impartially by an independent judiciary.
At TFS, we want to ensure that the rule of law continues to be protected and upheld in a period where AI advancements increasingly transform our world as we know it. We are concerned that the pace at which advanced AI systems are being developed and deployed is outpacing the societal processes required to establish and enforce laws, regulations, and norms around their use. We believe that without adequate governance and oversight, there is a risk that AI advancement will weaken the rule of law and broadly outstrip our ability to establish justice.
Through our convening and advocacy work, we aim to ensure that the research, development, and deployment of advanced AI is conducted in accordance with legal frameworks and normative principles. We acknowledge that, due to the transformative nature of AI systems, some of these legal frameworks and principles need to be updated, and new ones will need to be implemented. Hence, we also seek to ensure that policymakers possess the capacity needed to preempt and respond to technological advancements judiciously. This requires coordination amongst regulators, developers, and deployers, and the implementation of robust mechanisms for measuring and monitoring AI systems. Finally, we realize that laws are only effective if they are consistently and impartially enforced; as such, a critical element of our work involves seeking to understand and promote enforcement tools for current and future laws pertaining to AI systems.
Our work in this theme includes our flagship forum, The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law, which promotes dialogue and coordination across developers and deployers of advanced AI, policymakers, and legal and judicial actors. Beginning in 2023, we are strengthening our policy engagement efforts in the United States, to help build the capacity of the U.S. Government, on both federal and state levels, to effectively govern advanced AI systems. In doing so, we plan to continue promoting coordination between regulators and policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic towards safe, ethical, secure and trustworthy AI.
Workstreams
Endorsements
Related resources
TFS joins U.S. NIST AI Safety Institute Consortium
TFS joins U.S. NIST AI Safety Institute Consortium
TFS is collaborating with the NIST in the AI Safety Institute Consortium to establish a new measurement science that will...
Towards Effective Governance of Foundation Models and Generative AI
Towards Effective Governance of Foundation Models and Generative AI
We share highlights from the fifth edition of The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law, and we...
The Fifth Edition of The Athens Roundtable to take place in Washington, D.C.
The Fifth Edition of The Athens Roundtable to take place in Washington, D.C.
The Fifth Edition of The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law will convene in Washington D.C. on...
Model Protocol for Electronically Stored Information (ESI)
Model Protocol for Electronically Stored Information (ESI)
The Future Society, with support from IEEE, has developed a model protocol to assist parties seeking to establish the trustworthiness...
Response to U.S. OSTP Request for Information on National Priorities for AI
Response to U.S. OSTP Request for Information on National Priorities for AI
Our response put forward national priorities focused on security standards, measurement and evaluation frameworks, and an industry-wide code of conduct...
Strengthening the AI operating environment
Strengthening the AI operating environment
In a paper published at the International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Assistance for Legal Professionals in the Digital...
Response to U.S. NTIA AI Accountability Policy Request for Comment
Response to U.S. NTIA AI Accountability Policy Request for Comment
Our response emphasized the need for scrutiny in the design and development of general-purpose AI systems (GPAIS). We encourage the...
Takeaways from the fourth edition of The Athens Roundtable
Takeaways from the fourth edition of The Athens Roundtable
Held at the European Parliament in Brussels, the dialogue focused on implementation and enforcement of AI governance mechanisms at this...
Working group publishes A Manifesto on Enforcing Law in the Age of AI
Working group publishes A Manifesto on Enforcing Law in the Age of AI
The Transatlantic Reflection Group on Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Age of "Artificial Intelligence" convened for a...
Join us for the fourth edition of The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law
Join us for the fourth edition of The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law
The fourth edition of The Athens Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law will take place December 1-2, 2022.
MOOC on AI and the Rule of Law: Successful Completion of the Pilot Phase
MOOC on AI and the Rule of Law: Successful Completion of the Pilot Phase
Over 4,400 participants from over 140 countries registered for the online course exploring AI's impact in and for justice.
2021 Edition of the Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
2021 Edition of the Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
An international, cross-organizational dialogue on how to uphold the rule of law in the age of AI.
Launch of Global Online Course on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
Launch of Global Online Course on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law
The Future Society and UNESCO are pleased to announce open registration for a global course on AI's application and impact...
The Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law 2020 Report
The Athens Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law 2020 Report
The two-day roundtable, hosted virtually from New York City, welcomed back many of the first edition’s participants to create continuity...
AI & Rule of Law: A Discussion with European Regulators
AI & Rule of Law: A Discussion with European Regulators
The Future Society, Debevoise and IEEE came together to organise a virtual roundtable to help senior counsel understand European regulators’...
Roundtable on AI and Democratic Development
Roundtable on AI and Democratic Development
The Future Society joined International IDEA and European Commission to launch a discussion on AI and democracies.
Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Educating the Legal Profession
Conference on Artificial Intelligence: Educating the Legal Profession
The Future Society's Law & Society Initiative co-organized a conference on the legal profession's education about automated decision systems in...
Breakfast Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law
Breakfast Roundtable on AI and the Rule of Law
Over 50 practitioners and experts of AI & the law joined The Future Society's Law and Society Initiative for a...
IEEE, Covington & Burling, The Future Society & ELONTech Host the Inaugural Athens AI Roundtable
IEEE, Covington & Burling, The Future Society & ELONTech Host the Inaugural Athens AI Roundtable
Gathering advanced the first-ever effort to establish internationally-recognized principles for Artificial Intelligence in the Rule of Law.
Athens AI Roundtable on AI in the Rule of Law
Athens AI Roundtable on AI in the Rule of Law
The inaugural “AI and the Rule of Law” roundtable is co-hosted by The Future Society, the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of…
A ‘Principled’ Artificial Intelligence could improve justice
A ‘Principled’ Artificial Intelligence could improve justice
“To what extent should societies delegate to machines decisions that affect people?” This question permeates all discussions on the sweeping...