The ombudsman will check whether public bodies that use artificial intelligence discriminate against people. Bulgaria needs to pass a law on this soon, says ombudsman Velislava Delcheva.
AI is already used in the public sector, for example to grant social benefits and in medical treatment. The planned law will give the ombudsman the right to inspect the institutions that use it, and it sets penalties for violations.
Delcheva says such a law is a must, because public bodies and private firms rely more and more on AI, and the risk of discrimination grows with it.
"A short example from the Netherlands: thousands of citizens were refused social benefits solely on the basis of citizenship criteria," Delcheva told BNT.
Latvia already has rules on artificial intelligence. Its ombudsman, Karina Palkova, checks the hospitals that work with AI and says they use it very often. Small children, pregnant women and people with disabilities get priority as patients, and Palkova monitors whether hospitals keep that priority when they use AI.
A robot named Robert also took part in the conference on the impact of artificial intelligence. He presented the benefits of the technology for public administration.
Robert said AI provides transparency and fast access to information, and does not discriminate when it processes data. Robots monitor processes objectively and flag suspicious transactions and actions at once, he added.
"They cannot be bribed, they are not afraid, and they allow no human factor," Robert said of robots.
When his time comes, he will retire with dignity, Robert said.