Inclusion and participation

When designing, deploying and using AI systems, United Nations system organizations should take an inclusive, interdisciplinary and participatory approach, which promotes gender equality. They should conduct meaningful consultations with all relevant stakeholders and affected communities, in the process of defining the purpose of the AI system, identifying the underlying assumptions, determining the benefits, risks, harms and adverse impacts, and adopting prevention and mitigation measures.
Principle: Principles for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in the United Nations System, Sept 20, 2022

Published by United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

Related Principles

(d) Justice, equity, and solidarity

AI should contribute to global justice and equal access to the benefits and advantages that AI, robotics and ‘autonomous’ systems can bring. Discriminatory biases in data sets used to train and run AI systems should be prevented or detected, reported and neutralised at the earliest stage possible. We need a concerted global effort towards equal access to ‘autonomous’ technologies and fair distribution of benefits and equal opportunities across and within societies. This includes the formulating of new models of fair distribution and benefit sharing apt to respond to the economic transformations caused by automation, digitalisation and AI, ensuring accessibility to core AI technologies, and facilitating training in STEM and digital disciplines, particularly with respect to disadvantaged regions and societal groups. Vigilance is required with respect to the downside of the detailed and massive data on individuals that accumulates and that will put pressure on the idea of solidarity, e.g. systems of mutual assistance such as in social insurance and healthcare. These processes may undermine social cohesion and give rise to radical individualism.

Published by European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, European Commission in Ethical principles and democratic prerequisites, Mar 9, 2018

Chapter 2. The Norms of Management

  5. Promotion of agile governance. Respect the law of development of AI, fully understand the potential and limitations of AI, continue to optimize the governance mechanisms and methods of AI. Do not divorce from reality, do not rush for quick success and instant benefits in the process of strategic decision making, institution construction, and resource allocation. Promote the healthy and sustainable development of AI in an orderly manner.   6. Active practice. Comply with AI related laws, regulations, policies and standards, actively integrate AI ethics into the entire management process, take the lead in becoming practitioners and promoters of AI ethics and governance, summarize and promote AI governance experiences in a timely manner, and actively respond to the society’s concerns on the ethics of AI.   7. Exercise and use power correctly. Clarify the responsibilities and power boundaries of AI related management activities, and standardize the conditions and procedures of power operations. Fully respect and protect the privacy, freedom, dignity, safety and other rights of relevant stakeholders and other legal rights and interests, and prohibit improper use of power to infringe the legal rights of natural persons, legal persons and other organizations.   8. Strengthen risk preventions. Enhance bottom line thinking and risk awareness, strengthen the research and judgment on the potential risks during the development of AI, carry out systematic risk monitoring and evaluations in a timely manner, establish an effective early warning mechanism for risks, and enhance the ability of manage, control, and disposal of ethical risks of AI.   9. Promote inclusivity and openness. Pay full attention to the rights and demands of all stakeholders related to AI, encourage the application of diverse AI technologies to solve practical problems in economic and social development, encourage cross disciplinary, cross domain, cross regional, and cross border exchanges and cooperation, and promote the formation of AI governance frameworks, standards and norms with broad consensus.

Published by National Governance Committee for the New Generation Artificial Intelligence, China in Ethical Norms for the New Generation Artificial Intelligence, Sep 25, 2021

Plan and Design:

1 This step is crucial to design or procure an AI System in an accountable and responsible manner. The ethical responsibility and liability for the outcomes of the AI system should be attributable to stakeholders who are responsible for certain actions in the AI System Lifecycle. It is essential to set a robust governance structure that defines the authorization and responsibility areas of the internal and external stakeholders without leaving any areas of uncertainty to achieve this principle. The design approach of the AI system should respect human rights, and fundamental freedoms as well as the national laws and cultural values of the kingdom. 2 Organizations can put in place additional instruments such as impact assessments, risk mitigation frameworks, audit and due diligence mechanisms, redress, and disaster recovery plans. 3 It is essential to build and design a human controlled AI system where decisions on the processes and functionality of the technology are monitored and executed, and are susceptible to intervention from authorized users. Human governance and oversight establish the necessary control and levels of autonomy through set mechanisms.

Published by SDAIA in AI Ethics Principles, Sept 14, 2022

· Fairness and non discrimination

28. AI actors should promote social justice and safeguard fairness and non discrimination of any kind in compliance with international law. This implies an inclusive approach to ensuring that the benefits of AI technologies are available and accessible to all, taking into consideration the specific needs of different age groups, cultural systems, different language groups, persons with disabilities, girls and women, and disadvantaged, marginalized and vulnerable people or people in vulnerable situations. Member States should work to promote inclusive access for all, including local communities, to AI systems with locally relevant content and services, and with respect for multilingualism and cultural diversity. Member States should work to tackle digital divides and ensure inclusive access to and participation in the development of AI. At the national level, Member States should promote equity between rural and urban areas, and among all persons regardless of race, colour, descent, gender, age, language, religion, political opinion, national origin, ethnic origin, social origin, economic or social condition of birth, or disability and any other grounds, in terms of access to and participation in the AI system life cycle. At the international level, the most technologically advanced countries have a responsibility of solidarity with the least advanced to ensure that the benefits of AI technologies are shared such that access to and participation in the AI system life cycle for the latter contributes to a fairer world order with regard to information, communication, culture, education, research and socio economic and political stability. 29. AI actors should make all reasonable efforts to minimize and avoid reinforcing or perpetuating discriminatory or biased applications and outcomes throughout the life cycle of the AI system to ensure fairness of such systems. Effective remedy should be available against discrimination and biased algorithmic determination. 30. Furthermore, digital and knowledge divides within and between countries need to be addressed throughout an AI system life cycle, including in terms of access and quality of access to technology and data, in accordance with relevant national, regional and international legal frameworks, as well as in terms of connectivity, knowledge and skills and meaningful participation of the affected communities, such that every person is treated equitably.

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

· Multi stakeholder and adaptive governance and collaboration

46. International law and national sovereignty must be respected in the use of data. That means that States, complying with international law, can regulate the data generated within or passing through their territories, and take measures towards effective regulation of data, including data protection, based on respect for the right to privacy in accordance with international law and other human rights norms and standards. 47. Participation of different stakeholders throughout the AI system life cycle is necessary for inclusive approaches to AI governance, enabling the benefits to be shared by all, and to contribute to sustainable development. Stakeholders include but are not limited to governments, intergovernmental organizations, the technical community, civil society, researchers and academia, media, education, policy makers, private sector companies, human rights institutions and equality bodies, anti discrimination monitoring bodies, and groups for youth and children. The adoption of open standards and interoperability to facilitate collaboration should be in place. Measures should be adopted to take into account shifts in technologies, the emergence of new groups of stakeholders, and to allow for meaningful participation by marginalized groups, communities and individuals and, where relevant, in the case of Indigenous Peoples, respect for the self governance of their data.

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