AI ethics is about the values AI should respect, such as human rights, fairness, privacy and accountability, and how to put them into practice.
In plain words
AI ethics asks what is right and wrong in building and using AI systems. International bodies have agreed shared principles. UNESCO's 193 member states adopted a recommendation in 2021 that covers fairness, privacy, accountability and human oversight, and turns them into policy advice on areas from gender to data. The OECD has its own principles for trustworthy AI.
A quick example
Imagine a city that wants AI to flag which benefit claims to investigate. An ethics review asks: is the data fair to all groups, can people see why they were flagged, can a human overrule the system, and who is responsible if it is wrong?
Where you'll meet it
- Company AI principles and review boards.
- Government and international AI policy.
Related
Sources
- DocsRecommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, UNESCO · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsOECD AI Principles, OECD.AI · read 29 Sept 2026
Checked by WhatIsAI against the sources above · 29 Sept 2026. Spotted an error? Report it.