Ability to Appeal

The Ability to Appeal is an ethical and legal principle in artificial intelligence (AI) that ensures individuals have the right to challenge decisions made by AI systems when those decisions significantly impact their rights or interests. This principle asserts that people affected by automated decision-making should have accessible mechanisms—such as human review processes or judicial recourse—to contest and seek redress for those decisions.

It is closely linked to the concept of human control over technology, emphasizing that accountability for AI outcomes must ultimately rest with human actors (e.g., developers, regulators, and organizations) rather than with the technology itself.

In practice, the Ability to Appeal encompasses two key rights: the right to challenge the use of an AI system in decision-making and the right to appeal specific decisions that have been influenced or made by AI. Ensuring these rights is essential for protecting individual autonomy, promoting fairness, and maintaining public trust in AI systems.

For instance, the OECD and G20 advocate that AI outputs be accompanied by clear, easy-to-understand explanations, thereby enabling effective human oversight.

For Further Reading

Fjeld, Jessica, Nele Achten, Hannah Hilligoss, Adam Nagy, and Madhulika Srikumar. “Principled Artificial Intelligence: Mapping Consensus in Ethical and Rights-Based Approaches to Principles for AI.” Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, Research Publication No. 2020-1, January 15, 2020.

"The OECD AI Principles." Paris, France: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. May 2019.

“G20 AI Principles: Promoting Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.” G20, November 2019.

“G20 DEWG Maceio Ministerial Declaration.” Digital Economy Ministers/Ministers’ Language. G20, September 13, 2024.

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