In its annual meeting on the 30th of May, the Global AI Ethics Consortium Members discussed priorities for AI ethics in the coming year. Given the recent emphasis on regulatory mechanisms to mediate AI governance, it is important to consider both the short- and long-term roles for AI ethics in this space.
Short-term: How can an AI ethics approach work with regulation and other forms of governance to strengthen AI governance right now? This question needs attention as governance frameworks come into place this year. The UNESCO Recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence speaks to the timeliness and international nature of this debate. Even in the short term, it is important to acknowledge and build in mechanism for global perspectives and cultural inclusiveness as international guidelines are developed.
Long- term: A consistent theme in our consortium is the need to develop ways to train those from the technology sector, as well as policymakers, in AI ethics in a way that is practical, actionable and culturally adaptable. Ingraining the importance of this topic among practitioners and the public is not an overnight process, but involves a repositioning and reprioritization of the responsible use of AI at all levels of society.
The need to work on both short- and long-term governing mechanisms to promoting a culturally aware and practical approach to the responsible use of AI is clear. The GAIEC plans to continue working on this topic in 2022 through discussions at events, research projects and a report on the topic in the fall of 2022. Visit our webpage to stay up to date on our activities.
