Page 91 - AI Governance Day - From Principles to Implementation

AI Governance Day - From Principles to Implementation

5�9 From principles to implementation – pathways forward

Panelists:

– Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), co-chair of the
United Nations Interagency Working Group on AI
– Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union
(ITU), co-chair of the United Nations Interagency Working Group on AI

The session "From Principles to Implementation – Pathways Forward" featured speakers Mr.
Tomas Lamanauskas and Ms. Gabriela Ramos discussing the significant rise in generative AI and
the accompanying regulatory and governance challenges faced by policymakers worldwide.

Mr. Tomas Lamanauskas emphasized the UN's response to AI advancements, noting that ITU
has a long history of developing AI standards in various sectors such as disaster management,
health, autonomous driving, and agriculture, many of which have been developed in
collaboration with UN partner agencies.

"We provide the platform for all of us to come together, and this AI for Good Summit
is an example of that. This Summit didn't start last year; it started seven years ago,
and it's always useful to remember that. Seven years ago, it started as a solution
Summit, it started to think, discuss, and agree on how we use AI to progress forward,
to propel it. Of course, since then we've gotten a little bit more fearful of AI; we are
now much more afraid of it than we were then. So now we discuss how to really put
the right guardrails, how to safeguard it. But even in that regard, we also have work
that has been done." (Tomas Lamanauskas)

A comprehensive White Paper, the "United Nations System White Paper on AI Governance: An
analysis of the UN system's institutional models, functions, and existing international normative
frameworks applicable to AI governance", was published in May 2024. The White Paper was
prepared by the Inter-Agency Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, under the leadership
of UNESCO and ITU, and endorsed by the Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB) of
the United Nations, comprising the Executive Heads of the United Nations.

Ms. Gabriela Ramos discussed the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach and the
integration of AI across various sectors. She praised the efforts of WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, and
FAO in using AI for health, education, children's well-being, and food systems. She highlighted
UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), which helps countries advance their
AI governance and has been implemented in around 50 countries. Additionally, UNESCO
achieved a global consensus on AI ethics, signed by 194 countries, focusing on human rights
and dignity.

The speakers stressed the practical implementation and capacity development needed
for effective AI governance. Mr. Tomas noted that ITU has 220 technical standards for AI
and is working on interoperability, regulatory approaches, and combating deep fakes and
misinformation. New initiatives like the AI for Good Impact and a flagship report aim to share
knowledge and assist developing countries.

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