Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2024-25
IPU Alm.del Bilag 2
Offentligt
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149th IPU Assembly
Geneva
13–17 October 2024
Standing Committee on
Democracy and Human Rights
C-III/149/M
25 July 2024
The impact of artificial intelligence on
democracy, human rights and the rule of law
Explanatory memorandum submitted by the co-Rapporteurs,
Ms. M. Rempel Garner (Canada) and Ms. N. Lugangira (United Republic of Tanzania)
1.
When ChatGPT was launched in 2022, the world crossed a new frontier in technological
advancement, with the development and deployment of large language models, and a new
chapter opened in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). This presented an opportunity for
engaged Member Parliaments of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to explore ways to close the
gap between technological advancements and the pace of legislative oversight. Legislators around
the world were also presented with an opportunity to express an interest in understanding the
related benefits and challenges affecting their constituents, and how best they might protect them
from the negative impacts of irresponsible use of AI.
At the 147th IPU Assembly held in Angola in October 2023, a debate was initiated among
interested delegates about the need to strengthen dialogue on the critical issue of AI, particularly
in relation to its impact on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. At this Assembly, the
co-Rapporteurs of the draft resolution initiated a dialogue and commenced work towards the
adoption of a resolution that would reflect the values of the IPU and which would provide a space
for delegates to discuss their priorities in relation to this increasingly important issue.
In December 2023, ahead of the development of the draft resolution, the co-Rapporteurs
established a framework to begin exploring the structure of the future debate on the impacts of AI
as well as to collect expert opinions. It was determined that a series of
online workshops
would be
held to bring together representatives of the IPU Member Parliaments and subject matter experts
in order to obtain a clearer understanding of the benefits and challenges relating to emergent
impacts of AI. It was decided that these workshops would be chaired and led by the
co-Rapporteurs.
The first workshop was held on 22 January 2024 and was entitled “A
changing landscape: An
overview of recent advances in artificial intelligence”.
During this session, parliamentarians heard
from leading experts about the fundamentals of AI, which technologies are affecting the world and
in which ways, and how they are developed and deployed. The session was moderated by
Ms. M. Rempel Garner (Canada), co-Rapporteur of the resolution, and included guest presenters
Mr. Yoshua Bengio, Founder and Scientific Director of the Montreal Institute for Artificial
Intelligence (Mila) and Ms. Inma Martinez, Chair of the Multi-stakeholder Experts Group and
Co-Chair of the Steering Committee at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI).
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5.
On 15 February 2024, the second workshop was held, entitled “The
emerging impacts of
artificial intelligence on society.”
In this session, parliamentarians heard from international
experts with critical perspectives on the impacts of AI on democratic institutions, labour,
human rights, warfare and industry. The session was moderated by Ms. N. Lugangira
(United Republic of Tanzania), co-Rapporteur of the resolution, and included the following
leading authorities: Mr. Joel Blit,
Senior Fellow at the Centre of International Governance
Innovation and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo; Mr. Philip
Thigo, Adviser to the Government of Kenya and Member of the UN High-level Advisory Body
on Artificial Intelligence; and Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for
Communication and Information at the United Nations Educational, Scientifc and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).
On 6 March 2024, the third workshop was held, entitled “Global
responses to emerging
advanced artificial intelligence technology.”
In this session, parliamentarians discussed the
large-scale deployment of society-changing AI around the world, and considered the
development of frameworks governing its research, development, deployment and use. The
session provided an overview of various current issues, including AI-related initiatives
currently underway, approaches emerging as best practices, and the existing gaps between
advances in AI and regulatory frameworks. The session was moderated by Mr. D. Naughten
(Ireland), Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology, and it included the
following experts: Ms. Carol Roach, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs,
Bahamas; Mr. Martin Ulbrich, Senior Expert on AI Policy, DG CONNECT, European
Commission; Mr. Quintin Chou-Lambert, Senior Programme Officer, Office of the UN
Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology.
At the 148th IPU Assembly in Geneva in March 2024, the co-Rapporteurs participated in the
debate on the draft resolution on AI at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Democracy
and Human Rights. The debate also featured presentations by Mr. Tomas Lamanauskas,
Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and
Mr Prateek Sibal, Programme Specialist, Digital Policies and Digital Transformation Section,
UNESCO. The presentations explored the positive outcomes and opportunities arising from
AI in health, digital agriculture, natural disaster management, radio telecommunications and
climate change. They also underlined the reality that 2.6 billion people around the world still
remain offline and have benefited little from the advancements in AI-based technology. It
was also stressed that the regulation of AI should be grounded in normative frameworks,
such as international human rights law.
In addition, on 25 March 2024, a workshop on artificial intelligence (AI) was held during the
148th Assembly. Main takeaways from the workshop included the need for international
collaboration, the importance of striking a balance between the need to regulate AI and allow
innovation, the need for greater digital literacy through education and the risks posed to
democracy through election interference. Participants noted that government policy on AI
should not be dictated by a handful of multinational corporations located in the Global North
and that the perspectives of countries in the Global South should be considered when
discussing the regulation of AI technologies; and that there was also consensus regarding
the need for AI to be used safely.
The IPU President, Dr. Tulia Ackson, in her opening remarks to the workshop, noted that the
experts had outlined the scale of the challenge to be addressed, and that it was now with
parliamentarians to ensure that the legislative framework was in place to allow everyone to
participate in the benefits that AI could bring, while also managing the risks. Dr. Ackson
further noted that: “It is very rare that parliament is called upon to take action in an area
where there is very little existing legislation. Yet, that is where we are today. We need to
create a regulatory framework for AI almost from scratch, even as the technology itself
continues to evolve very fast. It is a big challenge, perhaps also a big opportunity for regional
and international cooperation.”
On behalf of the IPU, the co-Rapporteurs provided written input in March 2024 to the
Interim
Report: Governing AI for Humanity
of the UN Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body. The
co-Rapporteurs underlined the role of parliaments as enablers of AI governance. In their
input, the co-Rapporteurs observed that through their legislative and oversight functions,
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parliaments provided the bridge between internationally agreed principles and obligations
and the reality of people’s lives. Yet, too often, executives participated in inter-governmental
negotiations without due consultation with the legislative branch. Implementation gaps were
the logical conclusion. The co-Rapporteurs invited the UNSG’s AI Advisory Body to insist on
the need for implication of parliaments at all levels, international, regional as well as national.
11.
The resolution underlines the alarming rate at which unchecked advances in AI affect some
of the most vulnerable citizens, including those that are unable to enjoy the benefits of these
advances. As previously mentioned, the resolution works toward closing the gap between
the advances in human-driven technological innovation and the negative impacts often
unregulated by the rule of law. Particularly of concern is the vulnerability of existing
democratic institutions in relation to AI, and the harmful impact of irresponsible use of AI on
democracy, human rights and the rule of law. At the same time, the resolution recognizes the
value of harnessing and strengthening existing and new legal and regulatory frameworks to
ensure the responsible and ethical development, deployment, and use of AI.
Finally, the resolution renews the call for attention on the responsible creation, deployment,
and use of A,I as a critical goal of the work of parliaments and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
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