The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to breach into human rights are very huge, a top official of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) told Gulf Times Tuesday. “AI has the capacity to get into human rights in a big way and data protection is a big challenge in the era of AI. There is the possibility of AI machines and algorithms to produce information which does not stick to reality or influence electoral processes,” Dr Mary Kawar, director, Arab States Regional Hub, UNDP, told Gulf Times.
She was speaking on the sidelines of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights organised by Qatar National Human Rights Committee.
“Since the capacity of AI to breach human rights are huge we need to put the citizens at the centre and have policies and strategies that are human rights based and designed around human beings,” explained, Dr Kawar.
The official said that AI unleashes several opportunities for development, for efficiency of governments, for service delivery, for improving the quality of life of citizens. “But at the same time it comes with some deep risks in terms of data breaching, in terms of replacement of human capabilities for the labour force and in terms of control.
So, the overall goal of this conference is to bring people together to strategise an opportunity to make AI benefit communities and not be a challenge and a risk to our life,” she continued.
Dr Kawar noted that at the level of strategies, policies and technical support, there should be efforts of making sure that there is awareness of human rights risks in this sphere. “This goes from support to governments and in terms of building coalitions that bring different stakeholders together and finally at the global level through initiatives, resolutions and global movements. They are all geared towards making sure that AI is at the service of citizens.”
“Also, at UNDP, we had a recent report, the Human Development Report, which focused on AI and digitalisation. The idea was that how we can accelerate the implementation of the sustainable development goals, how digitalisation and AI can be for the benefit of human development, especially in terms of health and education and basic rights,” she highlighted.
Dr Kawar stated that the conference will be a pointer to the way forward in protecting human rights while making use of AI.
“The event will end with a declaration that will set the way forward and that is why it is very important. Through the sessions people from around the globe will share best practices and will discuss avenues for making use of AI in a way that is sensitive to human rights. These all discussions will end up in a declaration that will help all the stakeholders to define the way they believe artificial intelligence should be designed and approached,” she added.