Why we need responsible innovation: WIPO’s Francis Gurry (VIDEO)
Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry was attending ITU Telecom World in Budapest, where he spoke with ITU officials about innovation and the internet.
“We don’t want innovation just for innovation’s sake. We want innovation that’s going to improve the quality of our lives,” said Gurry.
Mr. Gurry emphasized the need to take care of the precious resource that is the internet – and highlighted WIPO’s role in the growing digital economy, including in encouraging innovation and cultural creativity through intellectual property policy.
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“All of this connectivity, you need to have content to transmit. And that’s really the specialty,” said Gurry. “And that’s what drives… the complementarity between the ITU and the World Intellectual Property Organization.”
The meaning of responsible innovation
Gurry lauds the different groups that promote responsible artificial intelligence, and he spoke of the need for responsibility with regard to innovation and digitization, especially on issues such as lethal autonomous weapons and hereditary genome editing.
“Now, unfortunately, we’re living in a time in which international cooperation in making new rules and norms is extremely difficult,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult to achieve.”
“Conferences like [ITU Telecom World]… promote understanding between different peoples, different cultures. It’s extremely important. So they’re a very important component of a healthy international society.”
On the importance of international cooperation
Wrapping up the interview, Gurry emphasizes the importance of the fundamental idea of international cooperation, and one that needs to be preserved.
“Conferences like [ITU Telecom World], I think promote understanding between different peoples, different cultures. It’s extremely important,” he said. “So they’re a very important component of a healthy international society.”
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