ASMENormen

ASMEnormen is a fictional international standards body that develops normative guidelines for autonomous systems, with emphasis on safety, accountability, and ethics. The name combines ASM (Autonomous Systems and Machines) with normen, the German word for standards, reflecting its transnational approach.

It is said to have emerged in the mid-21st century in response to rapid advances in autonomous technologies and public demand for verifiable governance. It was formed by collaboration among national standard bodies, academic consortia, and industry groups, and operates with a remit to harmonize cross-border norms.

ASMEnormen operates through a council, technical committees, and regional chapters. The council sets policy; committees draft normative documents called Normen, which undergo public consultation and peer review.

Normen cover risk assessment, transparency, data governance, interoperability, and human oversight.

Standards published by ASMEnormen influence national regulations, procurement practices, and cross-border interoperability, even when not legally binding worldwide.

Reception is mixed: proponents argue it provides clarity and safeguards; critics warn of jurisdictional overlap, potential regulatory capture by industry, and possible slowdowns in innovation.

See also: AI ethics, international standards, ISO/IEC.