Information Meeting on Artificial Intelligence

The Information Meeting for Member States will take place on Tuesday 22 January 2019, from 3:30 to 5:00 in room II (Fontenoy Building). The Meeting will be chaired by Mr. Moez Chakchouk, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (CI), with the participation of the representatives of each Programme Sector and UNESCO Global Priority.
Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have a direct impact on almost all human activities. This protean impact also affects all regions of the world. Faced with the many issues raised by AI developments related to the respect of the universal values stated in the Charter of the United Nations, the opportunity to lay down principles for AI, as part of a humanistic approach, is feeding debates in the global community.

To enable and further this global dialogue, UNESCO will organize a high-level conference on 4 March 2019 at its headquarters in Paris. This conference will bring together Member States, experts, the private sector, international organizations and civil society. The overall purpose of this conference is to raise awareness and promote reflection on the opportunities and challenges that AI and its technologies pose, especially with regard to transparency and accountability. The conference will also explore the potential of AI in relation to the SDGs.

Through this conference, UNESCO seeks to further facilitate dialogue between participants who represent a variety of stakeholders from around the world on the potential benefits and challenges of AI and its applications, particularly in the areas related to education, the sciences, culture, and access to information, with a specific focus on gender equality and Africa. Discussions will focus on the universal aspects of AI, its ethical dimensions, and ways to ensure human-centered development and design in AI applications.