"Humans Hold Responsibility for AI Administrative Errors"... Public Sector Ethical Guidelines Finalized

Ministry Releases "Ethical Guidelines for AI in the Public Sector"
Establishing a Safe and Trustworthy Administrative Environment
Ultimate Responsibility and Control Over AI in Administration Remain with Humans

The government has released guidelines clarifying that when artificial intelligence (AI) is used in administrative work that affects citizens' lives, ultimate responsibility and control remain with humans.

On October 1, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it has finalized and released the “Ethical Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector” to support the trustworthy use of AI.

The ethical guidelines were formulated to address concerns such as biased decisions and privacy infringements that may arise during the application of AI in the public sector, and to build an administrative environment in which citizens can feel secure.

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The final version aims to ① promote administrative innovation and ② build public trust. It establishes six core values—public interest, fairness, transparency, accountability, safety, and privacy protection—based on three perspectives: citizens, administration, and technology.

Following the draft released in November last year, feedback and reviews from relevant organizations and academic experts were incorporated. Based on the six values, a checklist of 68 specific assessment items—tailored to the unique characteristics of public sector work—was derived to enhance practical effectiveness.

Additionally, a “three-stage (implementation–application–integration) self-assessment system” was introduced, allowing each organization to apply customized ethical guidelines according to the level at which AI is used in their services.

In particular, regarding the “accountability” standard, it was made clear that even when AI supports administrative decision-making or is used for direct judgments, ultimate responsibility and control always rest with humans.

Up to now, when AI has been used in administrative work that directly affects citizens’ lives—such as selecting welfare recipients, issuing permits, or predicting risks—the key issue has been who would verify and bear responsibility if an error occurred in the AI’s decision.

To address this, the guidelines: ▲ clearly specify the responsible party for every stage from the planning to delivery of AI services; ▲ require a human supervisory system for reviewing and intervening in AI decisions; and ▲ call for the establishment of post-management and remedy systems.

The goals and core values of the "AI Ethics Standards for the Public Sector" announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 1st. Provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety

The guidelines serve as a practical guide, enabling civil servants to self-assess and continuously improve AI ethics during their work.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will implement training programs for public sector employees to ensure the guidelines work in practice. The objective is to help civil servants develop the capacity to identify and address ethical issues independently, fostering the establishment of AI ethics across the public service environment.

Minister Yoon Hojung stated, “Through these newly established ethical guidelines and 68 self-assessment items, AI ethics will naturally take root throughout the public sector, and we will work towards creating an administrative environment where artificial intelligence can be used fairly and safely.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.