Check-in and access this session from the IGF Schedule.

IGF 2024 Lightning Talk #31 Internet Governance: Joining Practices and Reciprocal Unders

    Wuhan University    

    China Federation of Internet Societies

    Speakers

    1.Hui Zhao,Secretary of CFIS,Civil Society,Asia-Pacific Group,male 

    2.Wei Lu,Vice President, Wuhan University,Civil Society,Asia-Pacific Group,male                                                                                                               

    3.Bo Zhao,Profssor,National Institute of Cybersecurity,Wuhan University,Civil Society,Asia-Pacific Group,male 

    4.Daniyal Alghazzawi,Professor,King Abdulaziz University,Civil Society,Asia-Pacific Group,male 

    5.Yuexin Qiang,Director, Center for Network Communication and Social Governance, Wuhan University,Civil Society,Asia-Pacific Group,male                                                                  

    Onsite Moderator

    Zhen Cheng

    Rapporteur

    Xiaoman Li

    SDGs

    10. Reduced Inequalities
    11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
    16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    17. Partnerships for the Goals

    Targets: The core issue discussed was Internet governance based on “working together and mutual understanding” to advance an “Internet we want” for all humanity, with equal access to information, education and global services for all, and encompassed a wide range of areas in the Internet ecosystem, in line with the above-mentioned sustainable development goals.

    Format

    The session will take the form of a presentation that will combine informative slides and interactive discussions. Throughout the presentation, there will be ample time to engage the audience through interactive discussions and question and answer sessions. We also encourage knowledge sharing and the exchange of ideas among participants.

    Duration (minutes)
    30
    Description

    This session discusses the current challenges of Internet digital governance in terms of digital dividends, digital agreements and parameters, and digital security, as well as the international communication, international cooperation, and reciprocal understanding required to meet the challenges (1) Production, distribution and redistribution of digital dividends. Nowadays, digital information and network data of Internet users have been important factors of production, which drives economic development and scientific and technological innovation, and brings a lot of digital dividends.However, there are a large number of ethical and governance issues in their production and distribution. (2) Challenges and cooperation in digital security. To strengthen the global understanding of the reciprocity of digital security, innovate the concept of digital security, analyze the new challenges in digital security, and look for new opportunities for related governance cooperation. (3) Digital Protocols and Parameter Governance. Explore the technical monopoly and power game in Internet digital protocols and parameter settings, and look for new paths and new concepts to optimize governance.

    1. Conduct research prior to the workshop. Provide first-hand information and data support for the workshop; 2. Organize a pre-forum before the workshop. CUNET, Wuhan University, New Sorbonne University and Amazon (Jordan) co-organized the Internet Governance: Joining Practices and Reciprocal Understandings Pre-workshop Forum as a precursor forum to ensure more understanding and participation in the discussion of the issue; 3. Designing questions and open discussions during the workshop. Encourage each participant to share ideas; 4.Prepare visual materials (i.e., videos, images, infographics). Visual materials were used throughout the workshop to enliven the session and to assist those whose first language is not English.

    Notion:To esure the seamless progress of the conference,a nine-member working group has been established to handle the conference affairs,aming to facilitate the exchange of ideas among the participants and create a lively and engaging atmosphere on site.

    Key Takeaways (* deadline at the end of the session day)

    (1)The healthy development of the online content ecosystem faces many challenges, ranging from the proliferation of information to the uneven quality of content, and from the spread of prejudice to crises of trust, reminding us that the creation of a sustainable online content ecosystem is not only a technical task, but also closely linked to social harmony and progress.

    (2)The digital information of Internet users has emerged as a crucial factor of production, yielding a substantial digital dividend. However, ethical concerns and content governance issues inevitably surface during its production and distribution processes. It is essential to strike a balance between reaping the benefits and ensuring proper safeguards to protect user privacy and maintain the integrity of digital content.

    (3)Facing the Challenges of Digital Security and Digital Technology Cooperation: We need to bolster the global awareness regarding the advantages of digital security. This entails not only innovating the very concept of digital security but also actively seeking novel opportunities for collaborative governance, especially in the application of digital technology across various sectors such as education.

    Call to Action (* deadline at the end of the session day)

    Specifically, to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of AI, a country’s AI governance should correspond to its overall AI development level. The goal is to strike a balance, avoiding unregulated, harmful growth caused by insufficient governance while preventing the stifling of innovation due to overregulation. Building on this principle, we introduced the Global AI Governance Evaluation Index (AGILE Index).

    Under the trend of a technologically isomorphic society, Trusted Computing technology has great potential for building a sustainable network content ecosystem. Specifically, trusted computing technology can achieve: First, data encryption to ensure content security; Second, data anonymization to protect user privacy; Third, personalized recommendation to promote the diversity of network content ecosystem.

    Session Report (* deadline 9 January) - click on the ? symbol for instructions

    Lightning Talk #31, "Internet Governance: Joining Practices and Reciprocal Understanding ",aims to discuss the effectiveness evaluation and governance of the application of cutting-edge digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and smart algorithms.It also aims to explore innovative digital security and digital development concepts, enhance reciprocal understanding and joint practices, and achieve technology governance and joint cooperation for favorable development.

    The forum was well-organized overall. The topics discussed were cutting-edge and diverse, and the content shared was both informative and impactful. It provided a platform for different stakeholders to engage in equal dialogues and exchanges, attracting over 70 renowned experts and scholars in relevant international fields as well as representatives from the related practical sectors to participate, thus achieving favorable results.

    In the keynote speech session, invited experts shared in-depth and fascinating information on topics in the areas of child protection and development, AI governance and assessment, safety technology to promote the sustainable development of online content ecology, and algorithmic governance practices.

    Children's well-being is closely related to social fairness, justice, and future development, and should be placed at the forefront of Internet governance. Focusing on cooperation and mutual benefit in Internet governance, Zhao Hui, Secretary General of China Federation of Internet Societies, shared China's development concepts in protecting minors on the Internet and demonstrated China's achievements and experiences in children's online safety and protection as well as digital education through vivid practical cases.

    In the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, AI, as a key driving force, is profoundly influencing the future direction of society, and its governance and assessment have become crucial issues. Lu Wei, Vice President of Wuhan University, introduced a major project on new-generation AI led by him with the participation of scholars from Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The project has built a Chinese AI governance assessment system by adhering to the principles of acceptability, understandability, and implementability. It comprehensively analyzes the current situation of AI governance in China from six dimensions: assessment principles, positioning, purpose, target, methodology, and perspective. Based on the principle that “the level of governance should match the level of development”, the AGILE Index is proposed to provide a new reference framework for global AI governance and to promote the in-depth development of global AI governance research and practice.

    Creating a sustainable network content ecosystem is not only a technical task, but also closely related to social harmony and progress. Professor Zhao Boof Wuhan University's school of Cyberscience and Engineering at Wuhan University,takes trusted computing technology as a starting point to discuss the isomorphic relationship between security technology and network content ecosystem, pointing out that trusted computing technology has the possibility of realizing (1) data encryption to guarantee content security; (2) data anonymization to guarantee user privacy; (3) personalized recommendation to promote the diversity of network content ecosystem and other functions, which can promote the healthy and sustainable development of network content ecosystem. It can promote the healthy and sustainable development of network content ecology.

    The complexity of the reality of algorithmic applications and the depth of their impact determine the necessity and relevance of their governance. Dr. Yasir Javed from Prince Sultan University of Saudi Arabia pointed out that nowadays, algorithms influence and reshape the social order through data-driven decision-making, which brings strong potential for development opportunities and at the same time gives rise to a series of problems and disputes. Algorithmic governance can be based on the thinking of “technology to rule technology”, introducing automated decision-making and decentralized processes, and based on the understanding of the dual nature of algorithmic governance, comprehensively enhancing transparency, ethical supervision, and inclusive algorithmic design, as well as comprehensively solving the problems of hidden surveillance, bias, and weakening of human autonomy, so as to balance the opportunities and risks, and maximize the dividends of technology. Maximize the technological dividend.

    Taking this forum as an opportunity, different stakeholders deepened their mutual trust, understanding and consensus in the field of Internet governance, especially in the application and governance of cutting-edge technologies. Through discussions and exchanges, participants agreed that in the information age, the Internet has become not only a warehouse of data, but also an active cultural landscape that nourishes our wisdom and promotes the process of human civilization, as well as an ecosystem for human existence. The construction of a sustainable cyberspace ecology and the creation of a sustainable digital society rely on all global parties working together, strengthening international communication and cooperation, jointly building a better governance system, promoting the healthy development of technology, and exploring a viable path to share the digital dividend through common governance.

    Due to time limitations, a Q&A session could not be arranged on-site. However, after the meeting, speakers and other attendees had in-depth exchanges and discussions, mainly focusing on topics such as the tracking and evaluation of the effects of global AI governance and the realization of privacy protection and content security verification through trusted computing technology. These discussions closely adhered to the theme, addressed the concerns of real-world governance, and actively explored practical paths to achieve results.