For Heads-of · Practitioner
Exploitation of vulnerable groups by AI
An AI system exploits vulnerabilities due to age, disability, or social or economic situation to distort behaviour and cause significant harm.
- critical
- prohibited-practice
- vulnerable-groups
- eu-ai-act
How it happens
A system targets or disproportionately affects a group defined by age, disability, or economic circumstance, using their specific vulnerability, rather than general persuasive design, to distort their behaviour toward an outcome that harms them.
Why it matters
The prohibition exists precisely because standard consent and disclosure mechanisms don't protect people whose vulnerability is what's being exploited; 'the user agreed to the terms' is not a defence here.
Mitigating controls
The controls that address this risk, ranked by effectiveness.
No controls mapped to this risk yet.
Framework and clause references
| Framework | Clause | Title |
|---|---|---|
| OECD AI Principles | Human Rights | Human rights and democratic values, including fairness and privacy |
| EU AI Act | Article 5(b) | Exploitation of vulnerabilities |
Related resources
The external sources behind this risk, from the Resources library.