Bosch Sets Company Guidelines for the Use of AI

Bosch has established ethical “red lines“ for the use of AI. The company has issued guidelines governing the use of AI in its intelligent products. Bosch’s AI code of ethics is based on the following maxim: Humans should be the ultimate arbiter of any AI-based decisions.

“Artificial intelligence should serve people. Our AI code of ethics provides our associates with clear guidance regarding the development of intelligent products,“ Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner said at the opening of Bosch ConnectedWorld (BCW), the company’s annual IoT conference in Berlin. “Our goal is that people should trust our AI-based products.“

By 2025, the aim is for all Bosch products to either contain AI or have been developed or manufactured with its help. The company wants its AI-based products to be safe, robust, and explainable. “If AI is a black box, then people won’t trust it. In a connected world, however, trust will be essential,“ said Michael Bolle, the Bosch CDO and CTO. The company is aiming to produce AI-based products that are trustworthy. Over the next two years, Bosch plans to train 20,000 of its associates in the use of AI. Their AI code of ethics governing the responsible use of this technology will be part of this training program.

Bosch also hopes its AI code of ethics will contribute to public debate on artificial intelligence. It will take more than just technical know-how to establish trust in intelligent systems. There is also a need for close dialogue among policymakers, the scientific community, and the general public. This is why Bosch has signed up to the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, a body appointed by the European Commission to examine issues such as the ethical dimension of AI.