IGF 2024 WS #45 AI Ethics by Design: Collaborative Approaches and Policy Strategies

    Organizer 1: Thiago Moraes, University of Brasilia
    Organizer 2: Diego Andre Cerqueira, Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br)
    Organizer 3: Alexandra Krastins, VLK
    Organizer 4: José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira, 🔒

    Speaker 1: Ahmad Bhinder, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
    Speaker 2: Emna Krichene, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 3: Diego Andre Cerqueira, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
    Speaker 4: Tejaswita Kharel, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 5: Mariagrazia Squicciarini, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization

    Moderator

    Thiago Moraes, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

    Online Moderator

    Alexandra Krastins, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

    Rapporteur

    José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

    Format

    Roundtable
    Duration (minutes): 75
    Format description: Overall, the combination of a roundtable room layout and a 75-minute duration provides an optimal setting for facilitating meaningful discussions, promoting equal participation, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders in addressing the ethical challenges of AI and digital systems. It encourages intimate and interactive discussions among participants, allowing. everyone to see each other, fostering a sense of equality and facilitating the exchange of ideas. This ensures that diverse perspectives are heard and considered, which is essential for addressing multifaceted issues like ethics in AI and digital systems. With a 75-minute duration, the workshop needs to be structured efficiently to cover key topics and allow for meaningful discussion. The roundtable format promotes focused and productive conversations, enabling participants to delve into the core themes within the allotted time frame. It encourages concise exchanges and ensures that the workshop stays on track, maximizing the use of the limited time available.

    Policy Question(s)

    A. How can policymakers effectively promote the concept of Ethics by Design, ensuring integration of ethical principles into the design process of AI and digital systems in a way that meaningfully includes multiple stakeholders, especially communities potentially affected by these systems? B. What are the primary challenges to embedding ethics in AI and other systems, and how can policymakers, industry, and civil society collectively address them to ensure digital technologies' responsible development and deployment? C. What strategies and mechanisms can be implemented to foster meaningful multistakeholder collaboration in developing ethical approaches for AI and digital technologies, considering their diverse interest?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants attending this workshop will gain insights into the pivotal role of data governance in promoting Ethics by Design in data-oriented technologies, particularly in the context of the UN resolution A/78/L.49 which underscores the importance of internationally interoperable safeguards for AI systems. They will also understand the significance of multistakeholder collaboration in shaping ethical norms and standards, as highlighted by various multilateral organizations including the OECD, G20, and UNESCO, and engage in debates addressing the challenges of embedding ethics in AI and other digital systems.

    Description:

    In an era where digital technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, wield considerable influence over various aspects of our lives, it is imperative to ensure that these technologies are being developed and implemented with an ethical approach. This workshop aims to delve into how data governance initiatives can serve as a cornerstone for promoting Ethics by Design in data-oriented technologies. As a response to the rapid and unprecedented developments of AI worldwide, the UN adopted the A/78/L.49 Resolution, co-sponsored by over 120 member states , recognizing that data is a key component of the development of such systems. It also acknowledges that in order to achieve that, nations should “(...) develop, promote and implement effective, internationally interoperable safeguards, practices, standards and tools for artificial intelligence designers, developers, evaluators, deployers, users and other stakeholders for safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems”. Furthermore, the Resolution recognizes multistakeholder collaboration as a key element for an effective commitment towards trustworthy AI. It highlights the necessity for enhanced collaboration among public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and technical communities, to ensure inclusive governance of AI systems. While other multilateral organizations such as UNESCO, OECD and G20 have also acknowledged the relevance of ethical considerations into the design, development, and deployment of digital technologies, and the relevance of multistakeholderism to achieve this goal, the debate on how to actually implement ethics is not mature yet. Therefore, by bringing panelists from different backgrounds and expertise, this panel aims to: 1 - Offer an overall understanding of Ethics by Design and the importance of embedding ethical considerations at the inception of technology development. 2 - Address the challenges of embedding Ethics in AI and other digital systems; 3 - Debate the multistakeholder collaboration and its relevance in shaping ethical norms and standards.

    Expected Outcomes

    1 - Increased Awareness: Participants and attendees will gain a heightened awareness of the importance of integrating ethics by design principles into data governance frameworks for the responsible development and deployment of digital technologies. 2 - Enhanced Collaboration: The workshop will foster multistakeholder collaboration by providing a platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing among governments, industry, academia, and civil society, leading to the formulation of innovative strategies for promoting ethical practices in the digital realm. 3 - Practical Insights: Attendees will acquire practical insights and tools for implementing ethical guidelines in their organizations, empowering them to navigate ethical challenges in AI systems and digital platforms effectively. 4 - Policy Recommendations: Through discussions and debates, the workshop will generate policy recommendations aimed at policymakers and stakeholders, providing actionable insights for enhancing data governance initiatives to promote ethics by design in digital technologies.

    Hybrid Format: To ensure successful implementation of a hybrid workshop, we will employ several strategies to facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers: Two dedicated moderators: We will have a dedicated moderator for onsite and another for online ensuring that both participants have opportunities to contribute and engage. The moderators will facilitate discussions, manage time effectively, and ensure that questions and comments from both groups are addressed. Interactive Technology: We will utilize interactive technology such as live polling, chat functions, and Q&A platforms to encourage participation from both onsite and online participants. These tools will enable real-time feedback, questions, and discussions, fostering engagement and interaction across all attendees. Post-Event Resources: Following the workshop, we will provide online access to resources, presentations, and recordings for both onsite and online participants. This will allow attendees to revisit key discussions, share insights with colleagues, and continue engaging with the content beyond the live session.