EU Artificial Intelligence Proposal Fails to Protect Social Safety Net Rights
Human Rights Watch warns that the European Commission's proposed AI regulation leaves vulnerable people exposed to harmful algorithmic decision-making in welfare programs.
The European Commission proposes a sweeping artificial intelligence regulation that aims to protect fundamental rights, but it contains dangerous flaws regarding social safety nets. As governments increasingly use algorithmic decision-making to monitor and control access to welfare benefits, this legislation fails to meaningfully protect people's rights to social security and an adequate standard of living.
Behavioral scoring and automated systems now weave deeply into the administration of social protection measures across Europe. However, the proposed AI Act neglects how existing inequities like the digital divide, social security cuts, and labor market discrimination shape the design of these automated systems and become embedded within them.
Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups warn that these high-tech tools deny or limit access to lifesaving benefits at a time when such programs serve as a critical bulwark against growing poverty and income inequality. The organization calls on the European Parliament to fix these shortcomings and implement stronger safeguards before the legislation becomes law.