Why does the OECD definition matter?

The EU AI Act, the Council of Europe Convention and several national laws use the OECD's 2024 definition of an AI system, which keeps scope consistent across jurisdictions.

International organisations (OECD, UNESCO, UN, G7, ISO) Framework Adopted Non-binding

OECD AI Principles (Recommendation on AI): requirements, deadlines and compliance actions

OECD Recommendation of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (OECD/LEGAL/0449), adopted 22 May 2019 and revised 3 May 2024

Source-linked · checked 11 Sep 2026 Open official source JSON record

What is OECD AI Principles (Recommendation on AI)?

The first intergovernmental standard on AI. It sets five values-based principles (inclusive growth and well-being; human rights and democratic values including fairness and privacy; transparency and explainability; robustness, security and safety; accountability) and five recommendations to governments (invest in research, foster an inclusive AI ecosystem, enable an agile policy environment, build human capacity and prepare for labour-market transition, cooperate internationally). The 2024 revision updated the definition of an AI system (adopted by the EU AI Act and other laws) and added references to general-purpose and generative AI, misinformation and environmental sustainability. Adherents include all OECD members and several non-members; the G20 AI Principles (2019) draw on it.

Who does it apply to?

Addressed to governments (adherents) and, through them, to AI actors; non-binding.

Actors: Provider / developer Deployer / user organisation Public authority / government body
Sectors: Cross-sector / all sectors
AI use cases: Generative AI and foundation models
AI system types: General-purpose AI model Generative AI system

When do the requirements apply?

2019-05-22: adopted; 2024-05-03: revised definition and text.

Dates are taken from the linked official source; a reviewer should confirm in-force and application dates before relying on them.

Official sources

OECD/LEGAL/0449
OECD · 3 May 2024 · Tier 1 source

Change history

3 May 2024 — OECD revises its AI Principles and the definition of an AI system
22 May 2019 — OECD adopts the first intergovernmental AI Principles

Record version 1: Added in the September 2026 global coverage expansion from the official source listed; reviewer to confirm dates, status and scope against the source text.. Full edit history is in the GitHub repository.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the OECD definition matter?: The EU AI Act, the Council of Europe Convention and several national laws use the OECD's 2024 definition of an AI system, which keeps scope consistent across jurisdictions.

Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.

At a glance

Issuing body: OECD Council
Adopted: 22 May 2019
Review status: Pending human review
Source tier: 1

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AI risks this instrument addresses

Misinformation (196 recorded incidents)
Malicious actors (566 recorded incidents)
Human-Computer Interaction (42 recorded incidents)
AI system safety, failures, & limitations (313 recorded incidents)

Mapped through the instrument's recorded use cases.

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