Session
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
Thiago Moraes, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Alexandra Krastins, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
José Renato Laranjeira de Pereira, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
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.
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.
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.
Report
Ethics by Design as a Guiding Principle: Embedding ethical principles into the design and deployment of AI systems requires collaboration between developers, policymakers, and civil society to ensure inclusiveness and respect for fundamental rights.
Global Standards and Regional Nuances: While global principles like UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI provide a baseline, tailored approaches are needed to address regional and cultural specificities.
Open Collaboration Models: Initiatives such as open-loop projects and expert roundtables demonstrate the value of iterative, collaborative policy prototyping between governments, industry, and technical experts
Promote Ethics by Design: Policymakers and organizations should prioritize the integration of ethical principles throughout AI systems’ lifecycle, ensuring inclusivity and accountability
Foster Inclusive Multistakeholder Platforms: Governments and organizations must create platforms that genuinely involve diverse stakeholders, particularly underrepresented groups, to enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of AI governance.
The session commenced with Mr. José Renato, from the Laboratory of Public Policy and Internet (LAPIN), introducing the workshop’s goal and main policy questions. Following this, Mr. Thiago Moraes (Vrije Universiteit Brussels – VUB) and Mrs. Alexandra Krastins (VLK Advogados) co-moderated the session.
Key Highlights from Panelists:
- Ahmad Bhinder (Digital Cooperation Organisation - DCO):
- Shared insights on the DCO’s mission to harmonize AI governance across its 16 member states.
- Discussed varying approaches to AI regulation, contrasting the EU’s prescriptive methods with the US and Singapore’s pro-innovation stance.
- Presented an AI Policy Tool developed by the DCO, which was launched in a previous IGF Day-0 Event (Event #173) and highlighted the DCO’s role in addressing AI’s intersection with human rights through global frameworks and policy tools.
- Emna Krichene (Meta Platforms, Inc.):
- Outlined Meta’s initiatives in responsible AI, including privacy programs and pre-deployment AI assessments.
- Emphasized the need for collaborative approaches, such as open-source AI projects and policy prototyping, such as the Open Loop Programme.
- Addressed challenges like the risks associated with open-source AI and the importance of education to build trust in AI systems.
- Tejaswita Kharel (Centre for Communication Governance - CCG, National Law University Delhi):
- Explored challenges in embedding ethics into AI, emphasizing the subjective nature of ethics and the need for stakeholder coalitions.
- Highlighted the importance of fairness and collaboration between developers, designers, and civil society.
- Rosanna Fanni (UNESCO):
- Discussed UNESCO’s global standard-setting work on AI ethics, including the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI adopted by 194 member states.
- Explained UNESCO’s tools like the RAM (Readiness Assessment Methodology) and Ethical Impact Assessment to operationalize ethical AI principles.
- Stressed the role of civil society and private sector engagement in designing ethical AI systems.
Q&A Highlights:
- Engaging Civil Society and Academia in the ethical design of AI systems:
- Mr. Bhinder emphasized DCO’s Digital Space Accelerator program, which integrates stakeholder inputs through global roundtables.
- Ms. Krichene shared Meta’s partnerships with civil society and academia, highlighting collaborative policy development efforts.
- Ms. Kharel underscored the tokenistic inclusion of minority perspectives in AI governance, calling for more substantive engagement to avoid "checkbox" participation.
- Ms. Fanni echoed concerns about superficial engagement, advocating for meaningful collaboration to leverage diverse expertise effectively.
- Feedback and challenges for multistakeholder collaboration:
- Panelists noted varying levels of AI readiness and understanding among stakeholders, underscoring the need for tailored educational and collaborative strategies.
- They identified misconceptions about AI risks and highlighted the importance of aligning technical and human-rights-based approaches to governance.
Conclusion: The session underscored the critical importance of embedding ethics into AI governance frameworks, fostering multistakeholder collaboration, and leveraging both global standards and regional adaptations. It called for sustained efforts to build trust, enhance transparency, and ensure the responsible development of AI technologies, which should engage all stakeholders, including academia and civil society.