The Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais (LNE) has set up a working group composed of several major industrial groups with a view to creating a certification around artificial intelligence. A public consultation, open until 21 May 2021, has been launched to gather the opinions of institutions, companies and experts specialising in AI on this certification standard. The responses received will allow the standard to evolve by taking into account the issues of the greatest number.

A working group mobilized around the creation of a certification standard

The aim of the working group launched by LNE in October 2020 is to create a certification standard for AI. The laboratory has joined forces with several major industrial groups, specialized directly or indirectly in the field of AI. These include Aixonable, Arcure, IRT Railenium, Kickmaker, Orange, Proxinnov – A2D, Schneider Electric, Scortex, Thales, Tosit (represented by e. Voyageurs SNCF) and Cap Gemini.

LNE explains that “given the significant increase in artificial intelligence solutions on the market, clients need to have confidence in the performance of the intelligent systems they acquire, and to have objective selection criteria. Developers, for their part, must be able to attest to the qualities of their systems in terms of performance, but also in terms of compliance with regulations, ethics, transparency and so on. Certification, independent proof, in the field of AI is therefore essential to promote the development and acceptability of these intelligent systems.

The 13 members of the LNE laboratory working group and its partners have therefore taken up the subject to establish a scope of action and evaluation criteria as well as a certification process. Their objective is to demonstrate that the AI supplier has real know-how in the field and masters all the stages of the AI design cycle to achieve a result that will satisfy customers and designers. The notions of compliance with regulations, ethics and transparency are also taken into account in this standard.

A public consultation open to the artificial intelligence community

According to LNE, the proper application of this certification will enable the development of high-performance intelligent systems, whatever the sector of activity.

An experimental version of the certification standard is now available online. Until 21 May, community stakeholders can send their observations and comments to the working group via this form. They can also make proposals to improve the draft.

After taking the responses into account, LNE will publish a first official and potentially applicable version of the standard at the end of June 2021. At the same time, the first AI system audits may also begin.

Translated from Le LNE lance une consultation publique sur sa certification autour de l’intelligence artificielle