Session
Organizer 1: CHANG LIU, China Association for Science and Technology
Organizer 2: Jing MA, China Association for Science and Technology
Organizer 3: Xiang Zhou, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)
Organizer 4: Rui ZHONG, Internet Society of China
Speaker 1: Chuang Liu, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: KE GONG, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Ricardo Israel Robles Pelayo, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 4: Horst Kremers, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 5: Daisy Selematsela, Civil Society, African Group
Xiang Zhou, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Jing MA, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
CHANG LIU, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Panel - Auditorium - 90 Min
Ethical, political, legal and regulatory dimensions for AI governance: Whether the technological capacity and infrastructure gap in AI increase the digital divide between developed and developing countries? What societal and economic benefits are enabled by the trustworthy use of AI in global public emergencies? How should these benefits be weighed against the need to protect fundamental rights?
The outbreak of COVID-19 is becoming a serious global concern. How to effectively control the pandemic is an emerging question to all nations in this planet. The rapid growth of the cases is beyond the capability of doctors and hospitals could deal with. The lack of experiences, immature measures, untrusted information, poor timeliness and risks, require more efficient and intelligent solutions to carry out when facing these kinds of accidents. The new technologies, such as AI and Big Data, provide innovations and opportunities in epidemic preparedness and epidemic response. AI system is a practical tool to quickly mimic professional decisions in many areas, and played a key role in COVID-19 treatment. However, new problems have also been created. For example, the inadequacy of Infrastructure and platform, the threats to governance and supervise, the challenges to principle and privacy, etc. This workshop will explore the potential of AI to create solutions for global public emergencies and build some good governance models of AI.
GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-Being
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Description:
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, it brings global attention to public health emergencies and solutions. AI System that is easy to deploy with little effort, and has been shown to be practically very helpful in the front-line screening and diagnosis measures for COVID-19. For example, the CT+AI Screening, which used together with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and form a more sensitive and complete examination procedure. Furthermore, the data based on CT + AI are objective and unified, which are conducive to the formation of a rapid direct reporting system. Therefore, it has become an important decision-making basis for current epidemic monitoring and control. However, new issues have also emerged: the inadequacy of Infrastructure and platform, the threats to governance and supervise, the challenges to principle and privacy, etc. AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. These processes include learning, reasoning, and self-correction. Today we are faced not just with the record pace with Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerge, but also with the exponentially growing demand for accessibility by people in emergencies. Relying on doctors and nurses alone to manually identifying and providing timely treatment is impractical at the moment as we simply don’t have that many of medical professionals. Stephen Hawking famously said: “Success in creating effective AI, could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Or the worst.” Thus, this is very right time to discuss the issues of AI applications in global public emergencies. This workshop will consider the potential of AI to create solutions for these public accidents and explore the challenges and mapping some good governance models of AI.
1. Present key issues on AI governance for global public emergencies. 2. Reach common understanding on the ways in which AI can be put to work to maximize their benefits, especially in improving connectivity and accessibility of marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, with learning difficulties or the elderly. 3. Define a follow-up action plan and come out an AI governance principles and guidelines.
All experts and audience will make comments and raise questions in regards to the speeches presented, guided by the moderator. Online participation will be led by a facilitated dialogue. There will be a live broadcast on the meeting and online attendees will get involved in the workshop during the whole session. Besides, online attendees will have a separate queue and microphone which rotate equally with the mics in the room and is entitled to raise questions after each presentation of the speaker and engage during the panel discussion. Trained online moderator with previous experience will direct the online participation. Audio-visual material: Organizers will explore the use of visuals (i.e. videos, PowerPoint slides, images, infographics) not just for the ice-breaker, but also throughout the workshop to animate the session and aid those whose native language may not be English.
Relevance to Internet Governance: Although AI is a promising technology domain with numerous emerging applications, it also has very strong developmental implications. Its correct and neutral operation is crucial to the security, stability and resilience of the Internet. It absolutely needs serious consensus among stakeholders on the governance model. From a procedural standpoint, the collaborative dialogue among those stakeholder groups around the topic in question can yield better results if it follows some widely recognized principles that can ensure open, transparent and accountable, inclusive and equitable activities. With that spirit in mind, as the IGF is the main focal point for Internet governance discussion worldwide, this workshop intends to discuss AI solution for global public emergencies through the substantial examples at the global forum in order to build some good governance models of AI.
Relevance to Theme: The workshop is directly related to the theme and subtheme of IGF 2020, respectively. It is highly relevant as the AI is seriously impacting the Information Society, especially when a public emergency breaks out.
Usage of IGF Official Tool.
Report
There was broad support for the view that AI and Big Data can provide innovations and opportunities in epidemic preparedness and response. Good application cases were introduced during the presentations. Panellists also agreed that although AI system and Big Data played a key role in combating COVID-19, they inevitably created some new problems. Especially, challenges of AI and Big Data Governance are well identified. Therefore, panellists reached a consensus on the great significance of mapping some good governance models of AI and Big Data to maximize their benefits. Moreover, they agreed that a synergy of global partnership is required on AI, both for its technical development and for its governance. Further discussions are needed on the detailed description for implementation at the operational level.
This session reached a consensus on the necessity of establishing AI policy and good governance models, as well as improving data management and operational standard to make better use of AI. The key takeaways are as follow:
1. Present key issues and challenges on AI and Big Data governance for global public emergencies.
2. Reach common understanding on the ways in which AI can be put to work to maximize its benefits.
3. Define a follow-up action plan and come out an AI governance principles and guidelines.
Speaker 1: KE GONG, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 2: Horst Kremers, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Chuang Liu, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 4: Daisy Selematsela, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 5: Ricardo Israel Robles Pelayo, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 6: Xiang Zhou, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)
The discussion at this session concerns every stakeholder involved in the field of AI and Big Data, including citizens, scientists, policy makers, public and private sectors, civil society organizations, academia and research institutions and so forth. It did not directly address issues related to gender equality and/or women’s empowerment. Recommendations were put forward on how to establish effective AI policy and good governance models, as well as how to improve data management, which should be applied to people in general, regardless of their gender.
