UNESCO appoints international expert group to draft global recommendation on the ethics of AI

Paris: UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has appointed 24 of the world’s leading experts on the social, economic and cultural challenges of artificial intelligence to draft internationally applicable recommendations on ethical issues raised by the development and use of AI.

This follows the decision by UNESCO’s 193 Member States during its last General Conference in November 2019 to task the Organization with the development of the first global normative instrument on this key issue.

The international expert group, which is composed of women and men from diverse cultural backgrounds and all geographical regions, includes leading scientists and professionals with extensive knowledge of the technological and ethical aspects of AI.

During their first meeting, 20 to 24 April, they will start examining the complex ethical choices which confront us in the emerging age of AI.

“It is our responsibility to lead a universal enlightened debate in order to enter this new era with our eyes wide open, without sacrificing our values, and establish a common global foundation of ethical principles for artificial intelligence,” said the Director-General.

The expert group has been tasked with the production of a draft text, which will be presented to various stakeholders at the national, sub-regional and regional levels for their comments this spring and summer. The text will then be submitted to UNESCO’s Member States for adoption at the next General Conference.