HLEG Guidalines for Trustworthy AI (Module A.4)
ModulesHLEG Guidalines for Trustworthy AI (Module A.4)
This module introduces the ethics foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) within European policy frameworks. It covers the definition of an AI system according to the EU AI Act, along with core AI concepts and techniques.
It further explores the ethics-by-design approach, showing how ethics principles can be embedded throughout the AI lifecycle. The module also presents the requirements for trustworthy AI as defined by the High-Level Expert Group on AI and introduces the ALTAI framework as a practical self-assessment tool.
Overall, this module equips learners with the essential prerequisite knowledge to understand AI fundamentals and serves as an introductory module to the course.
Learning Goals
- Understand the definition of an AI system under the EU AI Act
- Become familiar with core AI concepts and terminology
- Explain the ethics-by-design approach
- Identify the key requirements for trustworthy AI
- Understand the purpose and basic use of the ALTAI framework
HLEG Guidelines for Trustworthy AI
The European Union promotes Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the foundation for responsible AI development and deployment, requiring systems to be lawful, ethical, and technically robust. Established by the European Commission, the High-Level Expert Group on AI (HLEG) introduced the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI in 2019, defining four foundational ethical principles—Respect for Human Autonomy, Prevention of Harm, Fairness, and Explicability. These principles translate into seven practical requirements: Human Agency & Oversight, Technical Robustness & Safety, Privacy & Data Governance, Transparency, Diversity, Non-Discrimination & Fairness, Societal & Environmental Wellbeing, and Accountability. To operationalize these guidelines across the AI lifecycle, the EC created the Assessment List for Trustworthy AI (ALTAI). Moving beyond "box-ticking" checklists, the Ethics Readiness Levels (ERLs) framework utilizes semi-structured dialogues between technical and ethics experts to measure and advance ethical maturity across five discrete levels (ERL 0 to ERL 4). Applying these ethical frameworks is crucial when evaluating research projects against the regulatory context of the EU AI Act. While Article 2 provides a "safe harbor" research exemption for scientific R&D, real-world testing, pilots in sensitive operational settings (such as healthcare, education, or employment), and commercialization move projects into a "Grey Zone" where high-risk obligations or Article 5 prohibited practices may apply.
