UNESCO, the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has asked the world's governments to adopt its recommendations for AI ethics.
The U.N. agency noted that its appeal comes after more than 1,700 people signed a letter asking to pause training of more advanced AI systems.
In a news release, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called ethical AI "the challenge of our time."
- UNESCO's 193 member states, which no longer include the U.S., adopted the framework for ethical AI in November 2021.
- They include principles and policy recommendations, such as banning mass surveillance and social scoring and further protecting data.
- Azoulay said it's "high time to implement the strategies and regulations at a national level."
- In the release, UNESCO said it has concerns about many ethical issues — particularly discrimination and stereotyping — that could stem from AI innovation.
- It also cited challenges such as privacy rights, disinformation, personal data protection, and human and environmental rights.
- The agency argued that a self-regulating AI industry "is clearly not sufficient to avoid these ethical harms."
