software
Green politician against hasty use of AI in administration
“We are well advised not to go blind in a technology-open way.” photo
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
The Federal Council wants to advance the digitization of administration and allow the use of artificial intelligence. But Green politician Misbah Khan warns of the risks.
The Greens domestic politician Misbah Khan stops in The Federal Council discussed proposals for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in administration as problematic.
“Artificial intelligence, if used correctly, can be a useful and efficient tool to simplify and accelerate processes,” she told the German Press Agency. However, decisions that affect the fate of people should not be left to algorithms.
The reason for the warning of the members of the Bundestag are recommendations for the draft for the reform of the online access law and other regulations for the digitization of the administration, which are to be discussed in the Bundesrat this Friday. The recommendations of the Bundesrat committees state that the draft law should create the legal basis for data-based administration. This includes, among other things, “to standardize the admissibility of the use of algorithm-based decision-making and preparation in public administration”. Waiting for the European process would slow down the use of artificial intelligence in the public sector in Germany.
“Administrative decisions must be transparent”
It will probably be at least two years before the European Union’s planned set of rules, the so-called Artificial Intelligence Act, comes into force. The recommendations of the federal states to the federal government say: “The increase in the potential of this technology to make administrative processes more efficient and to provide employees in public administration with modern working tools” would be prevented if one were to actually wait for the EU rules on AI .
Khan warned that public administration decisions must be transparent and comprehensible, and that self-learning systems are not non-discriminatory. For example, anyone who applies for housing benefit and then receives a rejection must be able to understand why the application was rejected. “We are well-advised not to jump blindly in the face of technology,” warned the Greens politician. Public administration procedures could be significantly accelerated and simplified even without the use of AI.