Amid soaring adoption rates for artificial intelligence (AI), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced an open consultation to explore strategies for global regulation.
In its official announcement, UNESCO says the results of the open consultation will be presented as a policy brief to guide legislators in member countries in regulating AI. Experts are invited to comment on a publicly released consultation paper with a deadline pegged for mid-September.
The consultation paper is the culmination of several discussions with parliamentarians, capacity-building workshops, and a literature review on local AI regulation, which UNESCO says will promote “evidence-based policymaking.”
“UNESCO encourages stakeholders, including parliamentarians, legal experts, AI governance experts and the public, to review, and provide feedback on the different regulatory approaches for AI,” read the announcement.
Per the paper, UNESCO identified several regulatory approaches for AI governance starting with a principles-based approach to oversee the lawmaking process. While most countries are proceeding with a principles-based approach, others are pining for a standard-based method involving delegating authorities to agencies to roll out technical standards.
An agile and experimentalist approach may offer the best bet for regions seeking to take the technological lead, while a facilitating or enabling approach is touted to provide a balanced approach. The consultation paper noted that several nations are adapting existing laws to regulate AI, opting to amend rules related to a particular sector rather than start from scratch.
Other strategies mentioned in the consultation papers include those based on risk, human rights, and transparency, with several countries turning to a punitive approach with criminal sanctions.
The paper cites regulatory efforts by the U.S. as falling under the facilitating and enabling approach with its AI Leadership Training Act and CREATE AI Act. While African nations are inching forward to launching robust AI regulations, several countries are content to amend existing laws to address the new AI realities.
UNESCO’s AI work
UNESCO has a streak of providing ethical and technical direction to countries keen on embracing emerging technologies, rolling out a Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) to gauge the preparedness of nations.
The agency has since provided advisory services to Chile and the Netherlands regarding AI integration, offering several training sessions for regulators. In 2023, the agency urged local authorities to regulate the integration of AI in schools while supporting their governance efforts with a blueprint.
“Generative AI can be a tremendous opportunity for human development, but it can also cause harm and prejudice,” UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said.
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