This Recommendation addresses ethical issues related to the domain of Artificial Intelligence to the extent that they are within UNESCO’s mandate. It approaches AI ethics as a systematic normative reflection, based on a holistic, comprehensive, multicultural and evolving framework of interdependent values, principles and actions that can guide societies in dealing responsibly with the known and unknown impacts of AI technologies on human beings, societies and the environment and ecosystems, and offers them a basis to accept or reject AI technologies. It considers ethics as a dynamic basis for the normative evaluation and guidance of AI technologies, referring to human dignity, well-being and the prevention of harm as a compass and as rooted in the ethics of science and technology.
UNESCO - Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Anno 2021
The document outlines the main values and principles which are fundamental to the ethics of AI. A total of 11 policy areas are identified which merit particular attention to detail and consideration: ethical impact assessment, ethical governance and stewardship, data policy, development and international cooperation, environment and ecosystems, gender, culture, education and research, communication and information, economy and labour, and health and social well-being.
The recommendation highlight the importance of monitoring and evaluation by member states, as well as the need to foster on-going development of methodologies for impact assessment. These may include, but are not limited to ethics commissions, AI ethics observatories and repositories covering human rights-compliant and ethical development of AI systems.
The document is available at the following link.
