His Excellency Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Deputy Foreign Minister, Government of Mexico;Mr. Anir Chowdhury, Senior Policy Adviser, Access to Information Project, Prime Minister's Office, Government of Bangladesh;
Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this Luncheon Discussion. We are going to discuss a highly important issue.
Over the past years, we hear and learn about the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) almost every day.
AI is now a business necessity for both the private and the public sector, especially when it comes to understanding and using data.
AI is used by governments and companies across the spectrum to automate processes, and to detect, predict and respond to people’s and customers’ needs.
But we have not heard or understood enough about the role of governments in shaping the future of AI.
This is why we gather here today. I extend my deep appreciation to the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh and Mexico for co-organising this event, and to the World Economic Forum for their generosity in hosting and sponsoring this event.
For us here and many others, we are already experiencing the power of AI in our hands – through smart phones, tablets and many gadgets.
But this is not the case for everyone, especially those in low income countries, and those most vulnerable among us.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is guided by the principle of leaving no one behind. It embodies the yearnings of people everywhere to lead a life of dignity on a shared planet.
The 2030 Agenda also recognises the specific challenges of countries like the least developed countries, the fragile states and small island developing countries.
In today’s digital world, we must also remember to ‘leave no one offline’.
We must not forget that too many people continue to live on the margins of societies. Some are isolated, whether in rural areas or in urban slums, and lack access to infrastructure, resources and information, and are left out of opportunities to even take advantage of technologies.
We have also been warned about the risk of AI impacting the labour markets – how jobs that may be augmented by AI, or those that may be eliminated by machines.
According to a DESA research paper on frontier issues and the impact of technologies on labour markets and income distribution, estimates of the share of jobs at risk to being replaced by AI, vary widely, but can reach a number of high percentage.
Research also suggests that AI and other new technologies will continue to benefit higher-skilled workers with a high degree of flexibility and creativity.
The Research also shows that the influence of AI, and technology in general, is not preordained. It can be shaped by institutions and policies at the local, national, and global levels.
So, questions remain:
The last evolution of AI has attracted great attention of the international community. At the G20, the Leaders recognized that digital transformation is a driving force of global, innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth. However, they expressed caution on the digital divides among dimensions of emerging technologies like AI, including income, age, geography and gender.
In the United Nations we are following the issue closely. As you may be aware, the third annual Science Technology Innovation Forum was convened last month, and a recurring session was on emerging technologies.
At the Internet Governance Forum that is convened annually by the Secretary-General and supported by DESA, artificial intelligence is a key topical issue and is identified as part of its multi-year strategy. Next meeting of IGF will be convened in coming November in Paris.
Tomorrow (19 July), a dedicated high-level thematic session will be held on “Transforming societies and achieving the SDGs through frontier technologies and innovation”.
DESA is also going to launch the 2018 edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey at a side event tomorrow in Conference Room 7. This report assesses e-government development of all 193 UN Member States, and analyses how e-government can facilitate integrated policies and services across the three dimensions of sustainable development. One chapter delves into the role of fast-evolving technologies, including AI, in meeting the needs and expectations of today’s societies.
Excellencies,
Promoting innovation and supporting institutions in the implementation of the SDGs are top priorities for UNDESA.
I look forward to your expert views on the roles of governments in leveraging on the disruptive phenomenon of artificial intelligence, to ensure that no one is left behind, or no one is offline, in the future of AI.
I wish you have a very fruitful discussion.
Thank you.
Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this Luncheon Discussion. We are going to discuss a highly important issue.
Over the past years, we hear and learn about the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) almost every day.
AI is now a business necessity for both the private and the public sector, especially when it comes to understanding and using data.
AI is used by governments and companies across the spectrum to automate processes, and to detect, predict and respond to people’s and customers’ needs.
But we have not heard or understood enough about the role of governments in shaping the future of AI.
This is why we gather here today. I extend my deep appreciation to the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh and Mexico for co-organising this event, and to the World Economic Forum for their generosity in hosting and sponsoring this event.
For us here and many others, we are already experiencing the power of AI in our hands – through smart phones, tablets and many gadgets.
But this is not the case for everyone, especially those in low income countries, and those most vulnerable among us.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is guided by the principle of leaving no one behind. It embodies the yearnings of people everywhere to lead a life of dignity on a shared planet.
The 2030 Agenda also recognises the specific challenges of countries like the least developed countries, the fragile states and small island developing countries.
In today’s digital world, we must also remember to ‘leave no one offline’.
We must not forget that too many people continue to live on the margins of societies. Some are isolated, whether in rural areas or in urban slums, and lack access to infrastructure, resources and information, and are left out of opportunities to even take advantage of technologies.
We have also been warned about the risk of AI impacting the labour markets – how jobs that may be augmented by AI, or those that may be eliminated by machines.
According to a DESA research paper on frontier issues and the impact of technologies on labour markets and income distribution, estimates of the share of jobs at risk to being replaced by AI, vary widely, but can reach a number of high percentage.
Research also suggests that AI and other new technologies will continue to benefit higher-skilled workers with a high degree of flexibility and creativity.
The Research also shows that the influence of AI, and technology in general, is not preordained. It can be shaped by institutions and policies at the local, national, and global levels.
So, questions remain:
- How can Governments ensure that the development of AI do not create yet another digital divide?
- What would it take for Governments to take advantage of the transformative potentials of AI to ensure that no one is left behind? What should institutions do?
- Other than the labour markets, how likely is it that AI will impact welfare systems or otherwise create or exacerbate social exclusion?
- What is the responsibility of the private sector in delivering public goods of AI? How can Governments work better with the private sector? And,
- What is the role of the United Nations in mobilising AI to leave no one behind?
The last evolution of AI has attracted great attention of the international community. At the G20, the Leaders recognized that digital transformation is a driving force of global, innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth. However, they expressed caution on the digital divides among dimensions of emerging technologies like AI, including income, age, geography and gender.
In the United Nations we are following the issue closely. As you may be aware, the third annual Science Technology Innovation Forum was convened last month, and a recurring session was on emerging technologies.
At the Internet Governance Forum that is convened annually by the Secretary-General and supported by DESA, artificial intelligence is a key topical issue and is identified as part of its multi-year strategy. Next meeting of IGF will be convened in coming November in Paris.
Tomorrow (19 July), a dedicated high-level thematic session will be held on “Transforming societies and achieving the SDGs through frontier technologies and innovation”.
DESA is also going to launch the 2018 edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey at a side event tomorrow in Conference Room 7. This report assesses e-government development of all 193 UN Member States, and analyses how e-government can facilitate integrated policies and services across the three dimensions of sustainable development. One chapter delves into the role of fast-evolving technologies, including AI, in meeting the needs and expectations of today’s societies.
Excellencies,
Promoting innovation and supporting institutions in the implementation of the SDGs are top priorities for UNDESA.
I look forward to your expert views on the roles of governments in leveraging on the disruptive phenomenon of artificial intelligence, to ensure that no one is left behind, or no one is offline, in the future of AI.
I wish you have a very fruitful discussion.
Thank you.
File date:
Wednesday, Juillet 18, 2018