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First, identify what happened and who can change it
Do not assume that the software made the final decision. An organization may use an automated system to decide an outcome, or a staff member may rely on an AI-generated score, ranking, recommendation, or flag. Ask the organization what role the system played and who made or approved the decision. That distinction can affect both the review process and your legal rights.
An adverse outcome alone does not prove that a system made an error or discriminated against you. Record the concrete reason you think the result was wrong or unfair: for example, inaccurate information, missing context, inconsistent treatment, or a possible connection to a protected characteristic. Whether that amounts to a legal violation depends on the facts and applicable law.
What to do, in order
1. Address an immediate risk
If the decision could soon affect your safety, health, housing, job, benefits, finances, or access to an essential service, contact the organization’s human service or urgent-appeal channel first. Ask whether it can prevent an irreversible consequence while the decision is reviewed. This is a practical request, not a guaranteed remedy: the official sources cited below do not establish a universal right to pause an action.
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2. Save the record and make a short timeline
- Keep the decision notice, the date and method by which you received it, and any explanation or appeal instructions.
- Save relevant application, transaction, employment, or service records, along with messages exchanged with the organization.
- Write down what happened, the practical consequence, and the specific facts that may show an error or unfair treatment.
- Keep only information you are entitled to retain, and handle other people’s personal information carefully.
Check the decision-maker’s appeal instructions and deadlines now. An internal appeal may not pause a separate legal filing deadline.
3. Request an explanation and reconsideration in writing
Send your request to the organization that made or relied on the decision. Identify the decision and date, explain the suspected error or unfair treatment, attach relevant evidence, and say what outcome you want—for example, correction of inaccurate information or reconsideration. Ask for a copy of the request to be acknowledged, and keep your own copy.
Questions to include, as relevant:
- Was an automated system involved, and did it make the decision or provide a recommendation to a person?
- What information, criteria, or factors materially contributed to the outcome?
- Is information about me inaccurate or incomplete, and how can I correct it?
- Can a reviewer consider my explanation and relevant context?
- Who has authority to change the result, how do I appeal, and what deadline applies?
- Can the organization prevent the disputed action from taking effect while the review is pending?
Do not assume that you can demand the system’s source code or every technical detail. The official guidance discussed here describes rights and explanations in particular legal circumstances, not an unlimited right to inspect a model.
4. Check whether the review is meaningful
If the organization offers human review, ask whether the reviewer can consider your evidence independently and change the result. A person who simply confirms an automated recommendation may not provide a meaningful review. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) says that, in the relevant context, review should be carried out by someone with the authority and capability to change the decision. Its guidance also warns about nominal human involvement and automation bias.
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Choose a route based on where you are, the sector, the organization, and the type of harm. A regulator may investigate whether rules were followed without deciding your individual appeal or directly changing your outcome. Check what each channel can do before relying on it.
European Union: AI Act complaints
The European Commission’s AI Act complaint tool accepts complaints from people and organizations about alleged AI Act infringements within the AI Office’s exclusive competence. The form asks for the country and a detailed incident description, allows supporting documents, and provides a reference number. It is not anonymous. The Commission says it may, with your prior consent and where appropriate, refer a complaint to a national market-surveillance authority or an authority responsible for relevant EU-law protections.
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The tool does not cover every alleged AI Act violation. Check its FAQ and the relevant national competent authority for matters outside the AI Office’s remit. Eligible people who are professionally connected to an AI provider or deployer may have a separate whistleblower route; that option is not interchangeable with an ordinary complaint, and eligibility and anonymity differ.
European Union: data protection and solely automated decisions
European Commission information for individuals describes protections for certain decisions made solely by automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects. Those protections are subject to legal exceptions and safeguards, and their application depends on the circumstances and legal basis. The Commission describes safeguards for certain permitted decisions, including informing people of a right to human intervention and making the required procedural arrangements.
If this may describe your situation, ask the organization whether the decision was solely automated and what safeguards apply. You can also contact the competent national data-protection authority. These protections should not be read as a right to human review of every decision in which AI played any role.
United Kingdom: data protection
The ICO’s AI guidance describes data-protection safeguards and meaningful human involvement in relevant cases. The ICO page says its guidance is under review following changes made by the Data (Use and Access) Act. Check current ICO material and the law that applies to your circumstances before relying on a specific entitlement.
United States: employment discrimination
If AI may have contributed to discrimination in hiring or at work based on a protected characteristic, federal employment discrimination laws still apply to AI use, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For claims covered by EEOC-enforced laws, the general charge-filing period is 180 calendar days. It may be extended to 300 calendar days when a qualifying state or local agency enforces a law prohibiting discrimination on the same basis. These periods depend on the jurisdiction and circumstances; they are not general deadlines for AI complaints or other types of disputes.
Federal employees and applicants use a separate process. Contact the EEOC or the relevant state or local Fair Employment Practices Agency promptly to confirm the correct route and time limit. Do not wait for an organization’s internal appeal before checking an external filing deadline.
Other countries and sectors
For decisions involving areas such as finance, education, housing, healthcare, consumer services, or public benefits, the appropriate authority may be a sector regulator, ombuds service, or another body in your country. Identify the decision-maker and the applicable local process before filing: the EU AI Office, UK ICO, and U.S. EEOC do not cover every place or type of dispute.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and scope
The jurisdiction-specific information above is based on official guidance from the European Commission on automated decision-making and profiling and on its AI Act complaint and whistleblower channels; the UK ICO’s guidance on individual rights in AI systems; and EEOC guidance on AI and employment discrimination, including filing periods. The cited sources establish particular routes and safeguards, not a finding that any individual decision was unlawful. Because the ICO says its AI guidance is under review, UK readers should check the current guidance and applicable law.
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