[Geo4All] The UN AI Advisory Body Interim Report: Governing AI for Humanity

Wed Jan 17 13:25:51 PST 2024

Dear colleagues

The UN AI Advisory Body has launched its interim report. The report calls for a closer alignment between international norms and how AI is developed and rolled out. The central piece of the report is a proposal to strengthen international governance of AI by carrying out seven critical functions such as horizon scanning for risks and supporting international collaboration on data, and computing capacity and talent to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also includes recommendations to enhance accountability and ensure an equitable voice for all countries.

Individuals, groups, and organizations are encouraged to provide feedback via the online submission form at https://www.un.org/en/ai-advisory-body .

The deadline for the online submission process is 31 March 2024

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 is happening this week. I am an invited expert to the World Economic Forum Expert Network for some years. This year, there is lot of discussions on AI. I learned a lot listening to all speakers at WEF 2024.

This article published in The Guardian might be of interest.

Big tech firms recklessly pursuing profits from AI, says UN head

International community has no strategy to deal with risks, António Guterres tells Davos meeting

“Big technology companies are recklessly pursuing profits from artificial intelligence and urgent action is needed to mitigate the risks from the rapidly growing sector, the head of the United Nations  has warned.

In a fierce attack on the technology multinationals, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos that every breakthrough in generative AI increased the threat of unintended consequences.

Guterres linked the risks from AI to that posed by the climate crisis and said the international community had no strategy to deal with either.”

 “Powerful tech companies are already pursuing profits with a reckless disregard for human rights, personal privacy, and social impact.”

Guterres said much more needed to be done, arguing that governments and international bodies such as the UN needed to play a role in ensuring AI was a force for good.

Details at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/17/big-tech-firms-ai-un-antonio-guterres-davos

Best wishes

Suchith

________________________________
From: Suchith Anand  <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>
Sent: 08 January 2024 18:15
Subject: Building upon the Global Partnership on AI Ministerial Declaration New Delhi 2023

Dear colleagues,

Access to AI research, development and resources for deployment is primarily concentrated in the West. Despite AI’s power to redress current inequalities, this asymmetry threatens to reinforce the divide even further.

As Lead Chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence in 2024, India aims to better include countries from the Global South in the conversation surrounding AI to:

· Diversify perspectives of those involved in AI development

· Pool expertise and resources

· Democratise knowledge and use of AI systems

GPAI’s diverse membership is a key factor in enabling this. Details at https://gpai.ai/community/

India is a strong believer in having a greater voice of the Global South countries on international platforms, particularly of African countries. For example,  India actively championed for the inclusion of the  African Union as full permanent member in G20 and was successful. The African Union was made a permanent member of the G20  at the New Delhi G20 Summit.  This will be a right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance.

Details at https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/india-g20-africa-union-membership-g21-b2408367.html

Video of the announcement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JrIXKRdAEE

India should use its unique position as bridge between East and the West, North and the South to take the lead in the formulation of an acceptable template on the artificial intelligence (AI) related governance approach that could be adopted by the world’s largest economies considering India’s reputation as a developer of global consensus on key issues following its successful conduct of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Summit.  While talking of “harnessing artificial intelligence responsibly for good and for all”, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration on the issue of AI said that G20 members “will pursue a pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach that maximizes the benefits and takes into account the risks associated with the use of AI”. The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration said that G20 members “will promote responsible AI for achieving SDGs.”

I would like to thank India for including countries from Global South in the AI conversation. India taking leadership  on global AI-related discussions will strengthen the voice of developing countries in global decision-making processes.

Building upon the GPAI Ministerial Declaration New Delhi 2023  https://gpai.ai/2023-GPAI-Ministerial-Declaration.pdf  , India should use the opportunity as Lead chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in setting a global governance approach on AI.

The African Union becoming a permanent member of the G20 is important for the Global South. Brazil is the new G20 President (2024) . South Africa will be joining the G20 troika along with India and Brazil this year and it will take up the G20’s presidency in 2025. G20 troika is a three-member group of past, current and succeeding presidencies. This is a good opportunity to build upon the excellent G20 New Delhi Declaration and build the voice of Global South at the multilateral bodies.

The idea of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the world. This human-centric approach has been welcomed by all. The New Delhi G20 Summit and declaration will chart a new path in the human-centric and inclusive development.

Best wishes

Suchith

Dr Suchith Anand

Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | AI Ethics | AI Governance | Policy | Consultant in Data and AI Ethics | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate

https://council.science/profile/suchith-anand/

https://www.rd-alliance.org/users/suchith-anand

https://ethicaldatainitiative.org<https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/>

________________________________
From: Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>
Sent: 19 December 2023 10:18
Subject: Global Partnership on AI - Ministerial Declaration New Delhi 2023

Dear colleagues,

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence Summit was held in New Delhi from 12-14 December 2023. Twenty-nine international partners, including the USA, the European Union, Japan and India joined together to promote the responsible development and usage of AI. This also builds upon the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration in 2023.

India is the lead chair of the Global Partnership on AI for 2024. The Summit also marked a key moment for the 29 GPAI Members to meet and chart an ambitious course for the year ahead. They reaffirmed their commitment to promote responsible and trustworthy AI through GPAI, and their dedication to implementing those values through the development of regulations, policies, standards and other initiatives within their jurisdictions.

At the Global Partnership on AI Summit in New Delhi, GPAI Ministers signed the Ministerial Declaration.

Read the Ministerial Declaration at https://gpai.ai/2023-GPAI-Ministerial-Declaration.pdf

https://gpai.ai

Best wishes

Suchith

Dr Suchith Anand

Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | AI Ethics | AI Governance | Policy | Consultant in Data and AI Ethics | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate

https://council.science/profile/suchith-anand/

https://www.rd-alliance.org/users/suchith-anand

https://ethicaldatainitiative.org<https://ethicaldatainitiative.org/>

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