The recent UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, convened in Kranj, Slovenia, was an important platform for discussion against the backdrop of AI's exponential rise in usage across various public and private sectors. The Ministerial session was of particular interest for the GLACIATION project, as many speakers highlighted the imperative of balancing between leveraging AI's societal benefits and upholding ethical standards in its application.
The Forum represents an important platform for countries at various stages of AI adoption to engage in meaningful exchanges, learn from one another, and foster dialogue with stakeholders from the private sector, academia, and civil society. This collaborative environment set the stage for the in-depth discussions and presentations that followed.
Balancing AI's Promise with Ethical Practice
Discussions during the Ministerial session centred on the vital need to balance the societal benefits of AI with ethical management and usage.
Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Bui The Duy, provided a vision of AI’s role in environmental sustainability, a topic of existential importance. He elaborated on how AI could be leveraged to create more efficient energy systems, reduce waste, and monitor environmental changes.
However, Mr. Bui The Duy, as well as Ms. Nele Leosk of Estonia, both stressed the importance of a harmonised approach to AI, calling for policies and governance structures that can evolve as swiftly as AI technologies themselves. They underscored the need for regulation that supports responsible innovation.
Echoing this theme, Mr. Seth Center from the USA stressed “go fast but don’t hurry” to capture the essence of policy development in the AI sector. The emphasis was on creating governance that keeps up with AI's rapid development while ensuring thoroughness and caution.
GLACIATION: A Model for Ethical AI
The GLACIATION project, as part of Horizon Europe, integrates these principles into its foundation. It champions AI that is beneficial, equitable, transparent, responsible, and accountable, aligning with European standards for Ethical AI.
Through its metadata fabric and DKG, GLACIATION ensures AI applications are designed to be fair, equitable, and free from biases, protecting against prejudice and discrimination.
The project prioritises explainability, aiming for AI that is understandable and offers users detailed insights into and control over how their data is used.
Privacy and security are also not marginal concerns but are integral to the GLACIATION solution which utilises an AI optimal data movement engine to make data movement and operations more sustainable and privacy aware.
And finally, GLACIATION upholds a strong commitment to accountability, with regular reviews by experts in legal, ethics, technical, and business fields to ensure AI applications remain compliant and transparent.
Conclusion:
AI holds the promise of delivering significant societal benefits, yet as global leaders have emphasised, its inherent risks must not be ignored. It is crucial to strike a balance between the potential advantages and the risks involved. GLACIATION is proud to be at the vanguard of ethical AI usage. The solution is designed to make data movement both more sustainable and secure, ensuring that the development and implementation of AI within our technology are beneficial, equitable, transparent, responsible, and accountable