Safe and Ethical AI (SEA) Platform Network · Linking Artificial Intelligence Principles (LAIP)

Avoid Harm

The development and application of AI should avoid unnecessary harm to living organisms, including: avoiding the destruction of wildlife habitats; avoiding climate change due to excessive energy consumption that affects environmental stability and biodiversity; avoiding hazards to biodiversity from industrial wastes. The negative impacts of AI on biodiversity should be carefully assessed and published. Misuse and abuse of AI to harm living organisms should be avoided.

Principle: Principles on Artificial Intelligence for Biodiversity Conservation, August 25, 2022

Related Principles

Overall Vision

Like human beings, the life of all other living beings on Earth deserves respect. A well maintained biodiversity is essential for a living planet, and is the basis for the survival and development of humanity. Protecting biodiversity contributes to the viability of Earth, and promotes the harmonious coexistence and sustainable development of human beings and nature. From the perspective of global ecology and biodiversity, the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) should shift away from anthropocentrism towards a more ecocentric approach. Human beings and all other living organisms on Earth are common inhabitants of this planet. AI should be used to promote the conservation of biodiversity, to facilitate sufficient habitat for all living organisms, and to ensure that all living organisms have complete ecological functions in the ecosystem in which they live. When using ecosystem services, ethics, public order, and morality should be observed, and living organisms should not be subjected to unnecessary suffering. Endangered organisms with important ecological, scientific, or social value or with close emotional connections with humans should be particularly protected. In order to promote the harmonious development of technology and ecology, especially to promote Biodiversity Conservation, with full considerations of international consensus such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, and the UNESCO Declaration of Ethical Principles in relation to Climate Change, the following principles are proposed for the development and application of AI for Biodiversity Conservation:

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences，World Animal Protection Beijing Representative Office and other 7 entities in Principles on Artificial Intelligence for Biodiversity Conservation, August 25, 2022

Regulation and Protection

The regulation of Biodiversity Conservation should be promoted in a variety of ways through the application of AI, including but not limited to the biological monitoring, condition assessment, and scientific intervention to promote animal welfare; the promotion of animal welfare; the monitoring of biodiversity impact factors (e.g. pollution, poaching, deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, etc.); the monitoring, modeling and forecasting of ecological environments; and the design, analysis and implementation of environmental protection projects.

Be Responsible

Humans should be responsible for the negative impacts of the use of AI on biodiversity. AI models and algorithms related to Biodiversity Conservation should be as transparent, interpretable, and traceable as possible.

· Reducing the harm caused by climate change

AI can be used to monitor, simulate, and predict extreme climates to reduce their harm, and can be used to make rational planning for agriculture under global warming and assist in the development of crops adapted to the environment change to reduce the impact on agriculture. AI should assist urban planning so that it can cope with the impact of climate change. AI should assist in optimizing industrial processes, enabling companies to comply with green standards for sustainable development.

Published by International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Instituteof Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and other 10 entities in Principles on AI for Climate Action, April 26, 2022

· Environment and ecosystem flourishing

17. Environmental and ecosystem flourishing should be recognized, protected and promoted through the life cycle of AI systems. Furthermore, environment and ecosystems are the existential necessity for humanity and other living beings to be able to enjoy the benefits of advances in AI. 18. All actors involved in the life cycle of AI systems must comply with applicable international law and domestic legislation, standards and practices, such as precaution, designed for environmental and ecosystem protection and restoration, and sustainable development. They should reduce the environmental impact of AI systems, including but not limited to its carbon footprint, to ensure the minimization of climate change and environmental risk factors, and prevent the unsustainable exploitation, use and transformation of natural resources contributing to the deterioration of the environment and the degradation of ecosystems.

Published by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in The Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Nov 24, 2021