Governance for Digital Humanism: The Role of Regulation, Standardization, and Certification

Assuring that digital systems and services operate in accordance with agreed norms and principles is essential to foster trust and facilitate their adoption. Ethical assurance requires a global ecosystem, where organizations not only commit to upholding human values, dignity, and well-being but are also able to demonstrate this when required by the specific context in which they operate. We focus on possible governance frameworks including regulatory and non-regulatory measures, taking as an example AI systems. Thereby, we highlight the importance of considering the specific context, as well as the entire life cycle, from design to deployment, including data governance. Socio-technical, value-based standards, and certification schemes are introduced as enabling instruments for operationalizing responsible and ethical approaches to AI in line with upcoming regulatory requirements.