PARIS (dpa-AFX) – The UN cultural organization Unesco has demanded strict ethical rules for artificial intelligence (AI). The development of AI systems must follow the rule of law and accountability must be introduced, said Unesco Secretary General Audrey Azoulay on Thursday in Paris. Self-regulation by industry is not enough to avert the dangers posed by the further development of AI systems. Azoulay called for the implementation of a recommendation on artificial intelligence that Unesco had passed in 2021. With its call, the UN organization responded to the appeal of over 1000 experts calling for a moratorium on new AI systems.
In order to prevent misuse of AI technologies, all states worldwide should quickly translate the UNESCO recommendation into national law, said Azoulay. UNESCO is concerned that artificial intelligence could increase discrimination, especially against women. She also warned of setbacks in the fight against disinformation and of violations of personal and human rights through unregulated development.
The German Unesco Commission has presented a study on the implementation of the recommendation in Germany, which shows that there is a fundamental need to catch up in many areas. This applies, for example, to rules to avoid discriminatory AI and to ensuring more diversity in the development of AI systems. UNESCO sees its recommendations as an important addition to the upcoming EU regulation on artificial intelligence.
Several top tech experts are calling for a moratorium on the rapid development of powerful new artificial intelligence tools. In an open letter published on Wednesday, the more than 1,000 signatories called for a pause of at least six months./evs/DP/nas