Balance between Innovation and Human Safety: Ukraine presented the White Paper on AI Regulation

Balance between Innovation and Human Safety: Ukraine presented the White Paper on AI Regulation

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has developed a White paper on AI regulation in Ukraine. This initiative is designed to help Ukrainian companies prepare for a future alignment with the EU AI Act while also empowering citizens to protect human rights. 

The White paper aims to boost the competitiveness of Ukrainian businesses by opening access to global markets and facilitating closer integration with the EU. A key focus is ensuring the protection of human rights for Ukrainians, creating a safe environment where AI supports society without AI risks and threats.

Key Highlights:

• Human Rights Protection: Ensuring that Ukrainian citizens’ rights in the digital space are safeguarded so that AI serves as a tool for societal benefit rather than a source of new risks.
• Bottom-Up Approach: Ukraine has chosen to create a culture of self-regulation for AI businesses. Only after the preparatory stage will the government adopt AI legislation. At the self-regulation stage, the state conducts a dialogue with stakeholders and takes into account the interests of the industry in forming a regulatory framework. This method carefully balances the interests of all stakeholders — businesses and citizens alike.
• Promoting Ethical AI Use: 

The implementation strategy begins by equipping businesses with the tools they need to meet future regulatory requirements, followed by the enactment of legislation. The plan includes several initiatives, such as signing voluntary codes of conduct that underline ethical AI practices and issuing both general and sector-specific recommendations to guide sectors in adapting to the new standards.

“We aim to create the world’s best legal environment for AI development. Progressive policies will facilitate the development of the technology while minimizing its risks for citizens,” stated Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on IT industry development.

• Collaborative Development: The White paper has been developed with the active involvement of leading businesses, scientists, and educators from the Ministry’s AI Expert Committee. 

As of March 2025, Ukraine has already implemented the following initiatives announced in the White Paper:

• Workshops for Ukrainian companies based on the Council of Europe’s HUDERIA methodology.
• Recommendations on the ethical use of AI in 6 fields, namely media, schools, advertising and marketing, public officials, and the handling of personal data when using AI and intellectual property.
• Voluntary Code of Conduct. In November 2024, 14 top Ukrainian AI companies signed the Voluntary Code of Conduct in the field of AI. It stipulates that companies will officially adhere to global standards of responsible integration of AI into technological products.

You can view the complete White paper through the provided link for more details.

We at AI Ethics and Integrity International Association commend this progressive initiative and believe it represents a significant step toward ethical and innovative AI governance in Ukraine.