The World Employment Confederation announced that it has adopted a set of ethical principles for its members to abide by when deploying AI technology in the recruitment and employment industry.

WEC said its code is a living set of principles that will be adapted over time. As for the principles enshrined in WEC’s overall Code of Conduct, WEC members have a duty to apply those ethical principles in their use of AI, it added.

“AI systems used in the recruitment and employment industry should be beneficial for individuals and society as a whole,” the WEC stated. “They should be designed to augment human capabilities, with clear processes in place to ensure that they remain under human direction and control at all times. Transparency, explainability and traceability should be guaranteed to understand how these systems arrive at their decisions.”

“Fairness, non-discrimination, diversity, inclusiveness and privacy, principles that WEC members also abide to in their overall practice of HR services, are also principles to be followed to guarantee ethical use of AI in recruitment and employment,” the WEC added.

While WEC principles state that those deploying AI systems remain at all times responsible and accountable for their use, the industry also believes that clear, transparent, and accountable governance frameworks must be in place. The WEC added that it is already involved with relevant stakeholders, such as governments, civil society, and academia, in the decision-making process for such frameworks at both global and European level.