The mayoress of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has ordered the creation of the Advisory Council of Experts in Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Digital Rights. The creation of this consultative body, which is part of the government measure of the Municipal Strategy of Algorithms and Daots for the Ethical Impulse of Artificial Intelligence, is established in a mayoral decree of March 16 that has been published today in La Gaseta Municipal.
The advisory council will be chaired by the third mayoralty, responsible for the 2030 Agenda and the Digital Transition, which is currently led by the socialist Laia Bonet. The vice president will be the commissioner of Digital Innovation and the consulting body will be made up of 16 members from different research and knowledge institutions in the city that work on the development of artificial intelligence, on the humanistic and human rights aspects of technological development.
The council will have as its first mission to advise the municipal government on the use of artificial intelligence "for the common good" from a broad and global perspective. The advisory council will issue algorithmic impact studies at the request of Barcelona City Council, on high-risk algorithmic systems that want to be developed or put out to tender.
Another function of this newly created entity will be to promote collaboration with universities, educational centers, research centers, companies, foundations, public and private institutions linked to artificial intelligence and its ethical dimension.
It will also propose actions and projects with the aim of making Barcelona a benchmark city for technological humanism and will propose public policies to guarantee the digital rights of citizens. Likewise, it will promote the debate on the impact on the debate and knowledge of artificial intelligence in society by connecting the academic world, institutions and citizens.
The members of the advisory council will be appointed by mayoral decree for a period of 5 years, extendable for another term. They will not have remuneration assigned beyond the remuneration they receive derived from the issuance of the reports they prepare at the request of the City Council.
