Beyond risk: A proto-framework for assessing the societal impact of AI systems

In the discourse on AI regulation, 'responsible AI' is the dominant paradigm, with the focus on mitigating the risks related to AI systems. While this focus is important and necessary, it has limited use for a systematic consideration of AI's societal impact. This paper proposes a proto-framework for assessing the societal impact of AI systems by operationalising the concept of freedom. This proto-framework is intended as a step towards a fully operationalised framework to be used in policymaking contexts. By drawing on Kantian philosophy and related contemporary interpretations, freedom is developed as the counterpart to the concept of responsibility. Two dimensions of freedom are developed in further detail: freedom as capability and freedom as opportunity. These two dimensions of freedom are then applied in a proto-framework that systematically considers AI's impact on society using the Sustainable Development Goals. This proto-framework aims to complement current risk-based approaches and thereby offers a first step towards operationalising the concept of freedom in AI regulation.