Telefónica commits to using Artificial Intelligence with integrity and transparency

Telefónica is one of the first companies in the world to have ethical guidelines for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure a positive impact on society. With the Artificial Intelligence Principles to which it has publicly committed, the operator pledges to design, develop, and use AI with integrity and transparency.

Approved by the Executive Committee, the principles emphasize equality and impartiality, transparency, clarity, privacy, and security. These are rules that apply in all markets where the multinational operates and extend throughout its value chain, through partners and suppliers.

José María Álvarez-Pallete, chairman of Telefónica, has spoken on numerous occasions about Telefónica's commitment to the development of products and services aimed at making the world a better place to live and mitigating the negative impacts that technology may have on society or the environment. He has also stressed that advances must contribute to making society more inclusive and offering better opportunities for all. In this sense, AI can help achieve these objectives.

HUMANIZING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

From now on, Telefónica will evaluate projects that include Artificial Intelligence according to the following ethical principles with the aim of humanizing the use of technology for the benefit of all:

• Fair: AI technology applications must yield fair results, without discriminatory impacts related to race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other personal condition.
• Transparent and explainable: the goal is for users to know that they are interacting with an AI system, what data of theirs is being used, and for what purpose. Telefónica will ensure it understands the logic behind the system's decisions.
• People-centric: AI must be at the service of society and generate tangible benefits for people, whose human rights cannot be violated. Furthermore, the company has committed to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with AI.
• Privacy and security by design: the Company's Privacy and Security Policies take on special relevance in these Principles to preserve both personal and anonymous and aggregated data.
• Working with partners and third parties: Telefónica commits to verifying the logic and data used by providers.

"These phenomena undermine the trust of our clients, our most valuable asset, and hinder the development of a more just society. Consequently, we will do everything in our power to collaborate with other entities to eradicate them," assures the executive.

These are principles that place people at the center and guarantee respect for human rights in any environment and process in which Artificial Intelligence is used. It is one more step, a reflection of Telefónica's Responsible Business Principles, the ethical guidelines on which the multinational bases all its actions, and its commitment to work so that digitalization benefits everyone, as stated in the Manifesto for a New Digital Pact presented last June.