The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) has issued a joint statement on artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights.
While the FOC acknowledges that AI systems offer unprecedented opportunities for human development and innovation, the Coalition expresses concern over the documented and ongoing use of AI systems towards repressive and authoritarian purposes, including through facial recognition technology and automated content moderation, which can enable and scale human rights violations and abuses.
The FOC calls upon governments to oppose and refrain from the use of AI systems for repressive and authoritarian purposes; to ensure the design, development and use of AI systems in the public sector is conducted in accordance with international human rights obligations; and to promote, where appropriate, support efforts by the private sector, civil society, and all other relevant stakeholders to increase transparency and accountability related to the use of AI systems.
The statement was developed by a multistakeholder taskforce of governments, civil society, academia and private sector representatives, led by the government of Canada. It was launched at the 2020 Internet Governance Forum, on Thursday 5 November 2020.
