Thales's 10 commitments for digital responsibility

The digital revolution has transformed our daily lives. By paving the way for new practices and use cases, and allowing us to generate and process data on an unprecedented scale, digital technologies have heralded the dawn of a new age – one in which we are more connected and more efficient than ever before. But the digital transformation is far from complete and, with so much change still to come, people are rightly worried about what tomorrow has in store.

Empowered by its culture of innovation and its deep understanding of major societal issues, Thales is helping to shape the future direction of this revolution. 

The Group has developed a Digital Ethics Charter, setting out its 10 commitments on digital trust and responsibility.

These commitments, which are consistent with Thales’s purpose of “building a future we can all trust”, focus on three priorities: 

1. helping to make the world safer and more secure by increasing the safety and security of our solutions,
2. using digital technologies to help build a more environmentally responsible world and
3. placing humans at the centre of digital technologies to help build a more inclusive, equitable world.

1. Keeping humans in control of artificial intelligence

Systems powered by artificial intelligence are capable of operating autonomously. 

Thales undertakes to start from the premise that human beings must conserve the capacity to assume control over these systems, based on the use cases established with the customer. The Group uses artificial intelligence to enhance people’s ability to make decisions, not to replace human beings.

2. Designing explainable artificial intelligence systems

Some artificial intelligence systems operate with little or no clarity as to the process by which inputs are converted into outputs. This “black box” phenomenon can erode users’ trust in these technologies. 

Thales undertakes to explain the rules by which the algorithms operate and to provide details of the design of the technologies themselves, to the extent possible under the rules governing data confidentiality and protection of sensitive information.

3. Adopting a privacy-by-design approach

As new threats emerge, from the rapid replication of malfunctions to concerns around the sharing of sensitive information, Thales undertakes to apply the principles of privacy- and cybersecurity-by-design in the development of its systems and solutions. 

The Group constantly strives to optimise the types and amounts of data needed to achieve the desired outcome.

4. Striving to make Thales’s solutions as secure and resilient as possible

Cybercrime remains an ever-present danger, and the only way to guard against this threat is to plan ahead and implement appropriate protections. Thales undertakes to use its expertise, coupled with its innovation capabilities, to develop solutions that make society more digitally secure – now and in the future.

5. Harnessing the power of digital technology to tackle climate change

Thales undertakes to support innovations that help reduce natural resource and energy use and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

6. Adopting a frugal approach to data

By 2025, global data creation is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabyes. Such a huge volume of data poses a whole range of problems, starting with the energy needed to store and process it.

When developing its digital systems, Thales strives to be reasoned and proportionate in the production and use of data. The Group prioritises smart data over big data and data quality over data quantity.

7. Making eco-design the norm

Thales products are built to last, with some defence solutions having an operational life of up to 40 years. The Group’s technologies are known for their longevity, repairability, recyclability, modular design and scalability – the very same principles that underpin our innovation and product development strategy.

8. Tackling discriminatory bias in digital technologies

Algorithm design and training data can introduce involuntary bias into artificial intelligence systems which, for example, have been seen to discriminate against certain population groups. 

From the earliest design phase, Thales undertakes to put in place processes to detect bias in its artificial intelligence systems. The Group strives to ensure that its datasets are balanced and fair, and is working to achieve greater diversity within its development teams.

9. Promoting inclusion through digital technologies

According to the United Nations, more than one-third of the world’s population is still offline, while close to one billion people globally do not possess proof of legal identity.

Thales undertakes to use its knowledge and expertise to bring digital inclusion to disadvantaged communities, both through its products – such as digital identification systems and telecoms satellites – and through its employee engagement initiatives.

10. Helping employees navigate the digital age

To unlock the full potential of the digital transformation, people need to understand how new technologies work so they can make intelligent use of the tools at their disposal.

Thales undertakes to build a community of informed users by providing digital training to all of its employees.