A newly published white paper is offering a promising framework to help developers of high-risk and general-purpose artificial intelligence systems meet the evolving compliance challenges, as well as the legal and ethical expectations, of the EU AI Act.
Titled “Bridging Ethics and Regulation: How Value-Based Engineering Facilitates Compliance with the EU AI Act in High-Risk and General Purpose AI,” the paper was co-authored by Lukas Madl, Founder and CEO of Innovethic, along with colleagues Soner Bargu and Mert Cuhadaroglu.
You can read it HERE.
Innovethic and BABL AI have been cooperating since two years in education activities and they also pursue joint opportunities in AI governance and risk assessment. While the partnership is developing, the publication of this white paper underscores the potential for international collaboration to drive forward responsible and trustworthy AI.
The paper was presented at the 2025 Digital Humanism Conference in Vienna, part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series published by Springer. It has already garnered attention for offering a practical pathway for aligning technical development with complex legal obligations under the EU AI Act.
The EU AI Act, which introduces a risk-based governance model for AI systems, outlines strict requirements for systems classified as high-risk. However, the Act leaves many open questions about how developers should interpret and implement requirements around fundamental rights, risk management, and transparency; particularly for General-Purpose AI (GPAI) systems.
This paper proposes Value-Based Engineering (VBE), a structured methodology grounded in the IEEE 7000™ standard, as a way to bridge that gap between regulation and real-world design.
VBE offers:
- A non-prescriptive, context-aware approach to ethics integration
- A structured process for eliciting Ethical Value Requirements (EVRs)
- Early and ongoing stakeholder engagement
- Alignment with risk management and quality assurance obligations in the EU AI Act
The authors argue that incorporating VBE into the AI development lifecycle improves legal compliance, promotes public trust, and strengthens the ethical foundations of AI deployments across sectors.
As EU regulators begin enforcing the Act’s obligations in 2026, methodologies like VBE may offer much-needed clarity to both private developers and public-sector deployers of AI systems.
About Innovethic:
Innovethic is an Austrian-based consulting and research firm focused on ethical innovation and value-driven system design. Founded by Lukas Madl, the company works with clients across Europe to implement responsible AI practices and align development with legal, ethical and societal expectations.
About BABL AI:
Since 2018, BABL AI has been auditing and certifying AI systems, consulting on responsible AI best practices and offering online education on related topics. BABL AI’s overall mission is to ensure that all algorithms are developed, deployed, and governed in ways that prioritize human flourishing.
