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Human Centricity

Human Centricity is the first principle of ethical AI development for UK Defence. It ensures AI systems are designed, implemented, and retired with respect for human dignity and a focus on balancing positive and negative impacts on everyone, not just the operator. This principle needs to be applied to all affected groups, including MOD personnel, civilians, adversaries, and society, ensuring their treatment is grounded in fairness and respect. This means its scope is much bigger than simply looking at immediate and localised effects. Human Centricity requires developers and decision-makers to consider the effects of AI systems across their entire lifecycle, prioritising human well-being while at the same time understanding this in the context of the requirements of military necessity. See card: Does war have rules? 

Definition of Human Centricity:
The impact of AI-enabled systems on humans must be assessed and considered, for a full range of effects both positive and negative across the entire system lifecycle.

Whether they are MOD personnel, civilians, or targets of military action, humans interacting with or affected by AI-enabled systems for Defence must be treated with respect. This means assessing and carefully considering the effects on humans of AI-enabled systems, taking full account of human diversity, and ensuring those effects are as positive as possible. These effects should prioritise human life and wellbeing, as well as wider concerns for humankind such as environmental impacts, while taking account of military necessity. This applies across all uses of AI-enabled systems, from the back office to the battlefield.

The choice to develop and deploy AI systems is an ethical one, which must be taken with human implications in mind. It may be unethical to use certain systems where negative human impacts outweigh the benefits. Conversely, there may be a strong ethical case for the development and use of an AI system where it would be demonstrably beneficial or result in a more ethical outcome.

The principle is effectively asking you as a developer to undertake a cost-benefit analysis before developing or deploying an AI-enabled system to ensure that AI is understood as a tool to enhance human flourishing. AI systems should prioritise user needs, support ethical decision-making, and maintain accountability in sensitive scenarios such as conflict escalation or targeting. Respect for human dignity is crucial for this principle. The assessment can be likened to the ethical triangulation process (How do you make a good ethical decision?) where a proposed solution is tested first with the deontological question “does this enhance human life and wellbeing”, before one asks if the consequences of introducing such a solution outweigh the ethical costs, before looking at the motivation for introducing the system/approach. If all of the answers align in a positive way, and there are no better alternatives, then one can make a strong argument that the system makes a positive contribution. 

When evaluating the impact on humans, it is essential to consider a wide range of considerations, including but not limited to the seven key elements related to Human Security as outlined in JSP 985. For the UK, these factors include:

 

 

1. Personal/physical: Human security encompasses a broad framework that prioritises the safety and well-being of individuals, ensuring they live free from threats that compromise their dignity or survival. Central to this concept is freedom from unnecessary physical harm, which includes protection from violence, abuse, exploitation, and preventable harm caused by natural disasters or conflicts.

 

2. Political: Core Democratic Values are the fundamental principles that underpin all genuine democratic societies, ensuring fairness, freedom, and equality. These include the protection of individual rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and equality under the law, guaranteeing all individuals the same opportunities regardless of race, gender, or background. In the UK, the Government’s authority is derived from the consent of the governed, supported by free elections and active citizen participation. The rule of law ensures laws are applied consistently and fairly, while justice upholds fairness and impartiality in legal processes. The common good promotes actions for the welfare of the community, complemented by civic responsibility, where citizens contribute through voting, obeying laws, and serving on juries, while tolerance encourages acceptance of diverse perspectives and cultures. Together, these values guide democratic institutions, laws, and behaviours, protecting freedoms and promoting equity for all.

 

 

3. Economic: Maintaining economic quality of life and upholding the social contract are deeply interconnected, forming the foundation of a stable and thriving society. Economic quality of life encompasses access to essential resources such as fair wages, meaningful employment, affordable housing, healthcare, and education, along with opportunities for social mobility and reduced wealth disparities. The social contract complements this by fostering an implicit agreement between citizens and the state, where governments provide security, equitable distribution of resources, and public services in exchange for adherence to laws and civic contributions. Together, they reinforce one another: a stable and equitable economy funds essential public services, while a strong social contract ensures fairness, civic trust, and social cohesion, protecting economic stability. Addressing inequality is critical to both, as significant disparities erode trust, fuel unrest, and threaten prosperity. Through progressive policies, universal services, civic engagement, and sustainable practices, societies can balance individual well-being with collective stability, ensuring resilience and long-term growth.

 

 

4. Cultural/community: Community security focuses on ensuring the safety, cohesion, and well-being of individuals within their communities by addressing threats such as violence, social exclusion, and identity-based conflicts. It aims to protect groups from harm, promote equality, and foster social inclusion while preserving cultural and heritage identities and strengthening bonds among diverse populations. By establishing mechanisms for peaceful dispute resolution, ensuring access to justice, and empowering communities through development and resilience-building initiatives, community security helps prevent conflict and support harmonious coexistence. Ultimately, it is essential for creating stable and inclusive societies where individuals can trust institutions and actively contribute to collective well-being.

 

 

5. Health: Health security focuses on protecting individuals and communities from health threats that compromise their well-being, dignity, and survival. It encompasses the prevention of diseases, both communicable and non-communicable, through effective public health policies, vaccinations, and access to clean water and sanitation. Ensuring equitable access to affordable, high-quality healthcare is central. Health security also involves preparedness for emergencies like pandemics and epidemics, supported by robust healthcare infrastructure, while recognising the importance of mental health as part of overall well-being. Environmental and occupational health risks, such as pollution and hazardous working conditions, are also key concerns, requiring sustainable practices to mitigate harm. Global health cooperation is vital to tackling cross-border challenges like pandemics or antibiotic resistance. By addressing these dimensions, health security reduces vulnerabilities, strengthens resilience, and promotes social stability and individual dignity.

 

 

6. Food: Food security is a critical component of human security in the UK, ensuring that all individuals have consistent access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to lead healthy and active lives. Food security intersects with issues of affordability, sustainability, and resilience to external shocks, such as economic crises, climate change, or supply chain disruptions. Rising food prices and the cost-of-living crisis have highlighted vulnerabilities, with many households relying on food banks or other support networks. The UK also faces challenges related to sustainable agriculture and self-sufficiency, as it imports a significant proportion of its food. Climate change further threatens food security through impacts on domestic production and global supply chains. Efforts to address these challenges include promoting sustainable farming practices, supporting local food systems, and enhancing resilience to external disruptions. Food security in the UK is essential not only for individual well-being but also for social cohesion, as equitable access to food underpins public trust and stability in society.

 

 

7. Environmental/climate: Environmental and climate security are integral to human security in the UK, as they directly impact health, livelihoods, and societal stability. The UK faces challenges such as rising temperatures, flooding, coastal erosion, and biodiversity loss, all of which threaten ecosystems and human well-being. Climate change exacerbates these risks, disrupting agriculture, infrastructure, and water resources, and increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events. The transition to net-zero emissions is a priority for the UK to mitigate these effects, with policies focused on renewable energy, sustainable development, and reducing carbon footprints. Protecting the environment also includes addressing air and water pollution, preserving biodiversity, and promoting sustainable land use to ensure long-term resilience. Environmental and climate security are essential for safeguarding the UK's economic stability, public health, and quality of life, reinforcing the need for collaborative action at local, national, and global levels to mitigate risks and build adaptive capacity.

To make an assessment of your project’s adherence to the principle of Human Centricity will require identifying and conducting impact assessments for all stakeholders using the different lenses above. Not all will be appropriate or relevant for every project, but for where they are, a consideration of the impacts and effects for all of the different parties, at each stage of the product’s lifecycle, will be important. This will inevitably involve balancing competing priorities, such as military necessity and ethical concerns, or determining just how far a specific legitimate end justifies the suspension or limitation of certain rights or liberties. For examples of how one might make such judgements, see Who or what should be considered stakeholders for AI-enabled systems?. The assessment must, where possible, take into account human diversity, recognising variations in needs, perspectives, and vulnerabilities and how these may change over time (this recognition means that some kind of monitoring and audit process is likely to be required to ensure that if circumstances change, or base assumptions are challenged, they can be responded to.