Principal Consultant on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Parent Sector : Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section / Social and Human Sciences Sector

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : 6 Months (preferably starting first week of December 2019 until first week of June 2020)

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 26-NOV-2019

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

The 40th General Conference of UNESCO (12-27 November 2019) will be considering whether to proceed with the elaboration of a standard-setting instrument on the ethics of artificial intelligence, based on the preliminary study presented to it by the Director-General.

Should the General Conference decides to move forward with the instrument, the Secretariat will immediately start the process of researching and drafting a document as background for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group to be appointed by the Director-General that will be tasked with preparing a preliminary text of the instrument.

The UNESCO Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section hereby invites qualified individuals to express their interest for the position of principal consultant responsible for conducting and coordinating the research in the preparation of the background document.

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences (ADG/SHS), guidance from the Director of Partnerships and Outreach and Director of Policies and Programmes, and direct supervision of the Chief of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, the incumbent shall:

• Identify an overall framework of possible ethical principles and recommendations that are relevant to UNESCO’s fields of competence (i.e. education, social sciences, natural sciences, culture, communication and information, human rights), UNESCO’s priorities (i.e. gender equality and Africa), and other related areas (e.g. sustainable development, climate change, health, etc.) based on:

• the preliminary study of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) on the ethics of artificial intelligence;
• research and analysis, conducted by the incumbent and other short-term consultants as deemed necessary by the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, on existing UNESCO, United Nations and other international and regional initiatives, activities, frameworks or documents related to the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence;
• research and analysis, conducted by the incumbent and other short-term consultants as deemed necessary by the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, on relevant existing initiatives, activities, frameworks or documents by national authorities, the private sector, civil society, and professional bodies;
• research and analysis, conducted by the incumbent and other short-term consultants as deemed necessary by the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, on existing studies concerning the ethical, legal and social implications of artificial intelligence for developing countries;
• additional research and analysis conducted by the incumbent on the ethical, legal and social implications of artificial intelligence related to specific areas, as necessary;

• Under the guidance of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section and in consultation with the Focal Points Working Group on the Ethics of AI, conduct an analysis of existing UNESCO standard-setting instruments (in the form of recommendations) to identify possible structures to be considered in the preparation of a preliminary text of the future instrument;

• Under the guidance of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section and in consultation with the Focal Points Working Group on the Ethics of AI, plan and prepare the background document for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group by mid-March 2020 at the latest, based on the research and analyses mentioned above. In this regard, the incumbent should coordinate the contributions of other short-term consultants indicated above;

• Assist the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section in the preparation of and during the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group in April 2020, including a possible presentation on the background document;

• Assist the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section on all necessary follow-up to the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group, including any multi-stakeholder consultations on the preliminary text that will take place in May 2020 as necessary;

• Participate in the meetings of the Bioethics and Ethics of Science Section, the Focal Points Working Group on the Ethics of AI, and the UNESCO AI Task Team as necessary, including providing updates on the progress of the work in preparing the background document;

• Assist with additional tasks related to the preparation of the background document as necessary.

• Background document for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Expert Group containing an overall framework of possible ethical principles and recommendations relevant to UNESCO’s field of competence, UNESCO’s priorities, and other related areas (as described in Section A above), as well as possible structures to be considered for the future instrument.
• Final report on the tasks completed by the end of the assignment, as well as all files created for the purposes of the assignment.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) or equivalent professional qualifications in social and human sciences, bioethics, ethics of science and technology, law, political science or relevant fields.

Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in research and analysis, preferably at the international level;
• Good understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, or the broader AI ecosystem (i.e. Internet of Things, big data, etc.), and related ethical, legal and social implications;
• Experience in project and/or programme management, preferably at the international level;
• Experience with UNESCO and/or the United Nations system and understanding of their functioning and procedures would be an asset.

Language skills

• Excellent knowledge (written and oral) of English;
• Working knowledge of French will be an asset.

Competencies and skills

• Excellent analytical and drafting skills;
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and able to exchange information on complex issues;
• Strong problem solving skills;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in multicultural environment with external and internal partners;
• Excellent organization and planning skills, including the ability to organize own work priorities and deadlines. Discretion and maturity of judgement are required;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Solid computer skills including advanced knowledge of office software such as Word and Excel.

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information:

• A statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment;
• A written proposal comprising:
  • An approach and methodology for the assignment, including a work plan in line with the terms of reference;
  • The amount to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars on a monthly basis for a 6-month period (full-time working in Paris) – please include any costs for initial travel to Paris for the assignment and final travel from Paris after the assignment as a separate budget line (please note that the incumbent is expected to be based in Paris for the assignment).

Upon completing the Word file with all the requested information above, upload the file at the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application form. Only applications with the above requested information will be considered.

Complete the rest of the required sections of the online application form (please make sure to include a list of relevant publications), and submit the application.