Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Mr Türk said UN news that technology must be governed through a human rights framework that ensures transparency, accountability and inclusivity.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Volker Turk: Artificial intelligence is a technological tool and must be developed based on risk assessments. Technological tools are used to exert power, for good and also for evil, so we need to ensure that there is a framework within which they are developed, designed and used, and that is where human rights come into play.
UN News: What are the biggest human rights risks you see today from the rapid expansion of AI?
Volker Turk: There is a big problem of inequality, which is why I am so happy that this AI summit is taking place in India. It is very important that these tools are used everywhere and developed everywhere.
Then there is the issue of prejudice and discrimination. If the data is only collected from one part of the world, if only men develop AI, unconscious biases will be built in. We believe that it is crucial to take vulnerable groups and minorities into account, as they are often excluded from AI development. It is about meaningful participation and providing a vision of a better world. Human rights provide that vision.
UN News: Generative AI moves faster than regulation. What guardrails do governments and companies urgently need to set up?
Volker Turk: Take the pharmaceutical industry as an example: testing can sometimes take a long time because you need to ensure that any risks associated with a new product are identified before it goes to market.
When it comes to AI tools, we must require companies to conduct a human rights impact assessment when designing, deploying and commercializing them.
We have seen for some time that some companies have larger budgets than some smaller countries. If you can control technology not only in your country but around the world, you are exercising power. You can use the power for good – to do things that will hopefully help in areas like healthcare, education and sustainable development – but you can also use that power for bad things, like automated lethal weapons and the spread of disinformation, hatred and violent misogyny.
UN News: What kind of AI-driven governance or rules are needed to prevent AI systems from reinforcing prejudice and inequality?
Volker Turk: I got the chance to talk to people who produce or develop and design these things. What strikes me is that they often have a very superficial knowledge of fundamental principles when they enter the development phase.
It reminds me a bit of Frankenstein’s monster; you develop something that you no longer have control over. You let the genie out of the bottle.
If you are not aware of the dangers and risks, you can cause great damage. We have seen it, for example, in Myanmar, where there has been a lot of hate speech against the Rohingya on social media platforms.
It is so important to capture the perspective of every segment of society, especially women and youth, and to keep in mind that our brains develop in different ways.
We don’t want to create addictions that poison our minds and souls. We must also be aware of how harmful disinformation not only destroys the social fabric, but also creates divisive and polarized societies where everyone lives in their own bubble.
We also see a lot of misogyny. Many female politicians tell me they are considering leaving politics because of what they experience on social media.
UN News: What do you think responsible AI would look like in five years?
Volker Turk: What I hope we will have is the inclusive development of artificial intelligence, where power is no longer concentrated in a handful of companies in North America, and that the development of AI builds on the richness and diversity of all of us in every society.
I hope for an inclusive, meaningful, participatory form of development that will help us solve the many problems and challenges in the world today. The climate crisis, access to healthcare, education for all – AI can be a fantastic tool to help us achieve these goals.
The downside is that if we don’t put forward a vision of a better world, we could become even more polarized and have wars that are no longer controlled by people. And that is very dangerous.
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