Title IX: CODES OF CONDUCT
TITLE IX
CODES OF CONDUCT
Article 69
Codes of conduct
1. The Commission, the AI Office and the Member States shall encourage and facilitate the drawing up of codes of conduct intended, including where they are drawn up in order to demonstrate how AI systems respect the principles set out in Article 4a and can thereby be considered trustworthy, to foster the voluntary application to AI systems other than high-risk AI systems of the requirements set out in Title III, Chapter 2 on the basis of technical specifications and solutions that are appropriate means of ensuring compliance with such requirements in light of the intended purpose of the systems.
2. Codes of conduct intended to foster the voluntary compliance with the principles underpinning trustworthy AI systems, shall, in particular:
(a) aim for a sufficient level of AI literacy among their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems in order to observe such principles;
(b) assess to what extent their AI systems may affect vulnerable persons or groups of persons, including children, the elderly, migrants and persons with disabilities or whether measures could be put in place in order to increase accessibility, or otherwise support such persons or groups of persons;
(c) consider the way in which the use of their AI systems may have an impact or can increase diversity, gender balance and equality;
(d) have regard to whether their AI systems can be used in a way that, directly or indirectly, may residually or significantly reinforce existing biases or inequalities;
(e) reflect on the need and relevance of having in place diverse development teams in view of securing an inclusive design of their systems;
(f) give careful consideration to whether their systems can have a negative societal impact, notably concerning political institutions and democratic processes;
(g) evaluate how AI systems can contribute to environmental sustainability and in particular to the Union’s commitments under the European Green Deal and the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles.
3. Codes of conduct may be drawn up by individual providers of AI systems or by organisations representing them or by both, including with the involvement of users and any interested stakeholders, including scientific researchers, and their representative organisations, in particular trade unions, and consumer organisations. Codes of conduct may cover one or more AI systems taking into account the similarity of the intended purpose of the relevant systems. Providers adopting codes of conduct will designate at least one natural person responsible for internal monitoring.
4. The Commission and the AI Office shall take into account the specific interests and needs of SMEs and start-ups when encouraging and facilitating the drawing up of codes of conduct.
