1. Key Policy Questions and related issues:
What are the human rights implications of different AI uses?
How is AI contributing to rising digital authoritarianism?
How can different stakeholders (governments, civil society, academia, and industry) work together to promote human rights respecting AI?
2. Summary of Issues Discussed:
Areas of broad agreement: AI can benefit humanity, but can also pose significant risks to human rights. There especially needs to be recognition of the human rights risks that AI poses in the context of digital authoritarianism - specifically Remote Biometric Identification (RBI) including facial recognition technology, and automated content moderation. To address these risks and to ensure that AI is human rights respecting, a multistakeholder approach to AI governance is crucial. This must include perspectives from the Global South, as countries with weaker human rights protections will continue to develop and export their own technologies. One successful example of a multistakeholder approach is the Taskforce on AI and Human Rights (T-FAIR). In addition to the Taskforce's internal collaboration, T-FAIR also consulted civil society through engagements such as a workshop at RightsCon (July 2020) before developing a Joint Statement on AI and Human Rights. The importance of digital literacy was also discussed, particularly in terms of policy-makers who use AI and civil society organizations who are underrepresented in policy-making. In the former, examples from Brazil indicate that many policy-makers who use AI lack training and are unequipped to test AI for bias or efficacy. Regarding the latter, a lack of technical knowledge of AI can prohibit civil society groups from participating in policy discussions.
Areas needing further discussion: In addition to human rights, we need greater analysis of the long-term impacts of AI on democracy, civic life, and rule of law. This is challenging, as we don't clearly know how AI will develop. In addition, there is broad consensus that AI should not be used towards authoritarian or repressive purposes, but we also need to consider negative, unintended consequences that arise from initial positive or legitimate aims, as well as the use of technologies such as surveillance in established democracies.
7. Reflection to Gender Issues:
Finland discussed the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into the governance of technologies (gender is also at the center of Finland’s foreign and security policy). Finland is working to bridge the gender digital divide through their leadership at UN Women’s Generation Equality Forum. Important actions include bringing more women into the tech sector as agents of change, ensuring that technology is more gender responsive, and allowing women to use their voices online without the threat of gender-based violence and hate speech. Finland will incorporate women and girls as a focus of their 2021 Chairship of the Freedom Online Coalition.
