"Artificial intelligence can be a great opportunity to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals. But any technological revolution leads to new imbalances that we must anticipate."
Audrey Azoulay
UNESCO Director-General
Elaboration of an instrument on ethics of artificial intelligence
UNESCO has embarked on a two-year process to elaborate the first global standard-setting instrument on ethics of artificial intelligence, following the decision of UNESCO’s General Conference at its 40th session in November 2019.
This inclusive and multidisciplinary process will include consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including the scientific community, people of different cultural backgrounds and ethical perspectives, minority groups, civil society, government and the private sector.
Following online discussions, the first version of the draft text of the recommendation has been published online
Rapid technological advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as other advancing technologies such as robotics, cloud computing and Internet of Things, are transforming disciplines, economies and industries, and challenging ideas about what it means to be human. AI has enormous potential for social good and promoting the achievement of the SDGs if it develops in a way that benefits humanity, respects global norms and standards, and is anchored in peace and development.
Voices on artificial intelligence
First High-level Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Africa
AI is already present on the continent through incubators for technological innovation and applications that provide school support or monitor the breathing of newborns.
But initiatives are still limited and, as everywhere else, they raise important ethical questions concerning the use of private data, freedom of expression, responsibility and human labour.
These subjects were at the heart of the two-day Forum, organized in Morocco from 12 to 13 December 2018, to enrich the global reflection by drawing up an assessment of an African scale,taking into account challenges, opportunities and issues specific to local contexts.