Introduction to meaningful human control of artificially intelligent systems

This handbook presents the concept of ‘meaningful human control’ (MHC) over AI systems from the perspectives of (i) philosophy and ethics, (ii) law and governance, and (iii) design and engineering. The introductory chapter addresses the motivations and recent developments in MHC, introducing each perspective and related chapters. These three disciplinary perspectives scrutinize how MHC intertwines with philosophical debates on moral responsibility, societal concerns regarding control over technological advancements in legal frameworks, and the engineering complexities of designing and developing AI systems while ensuring human control and responsibility. Additionally, cross-cutting aspects on MHC over AI systems are also introduced and discussed through (iv) interdisciplinary and systemic perspectives. By offering a contextualized introduction to the perspectives considered in this handbook, this chapter aims to present the handbook’s various approaches and points of interest for a diverse audience, highlighting potential entry points into this multidisciplinary volume.