The South Asia Regional Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of Government of India, organized the National Stakeholders Workshop on Safe, Trusted and Ethical AI at the Taj Palace. Hotel, New Delhi.
The event took place at a crucial time, following the Indian government’s recent approval of the IndiaAI mission, which received over Rs 10,000 crore, marking a significant step towards strengthening the Indian AI ecosystem. AI. The workshop provided a platform for critical discussions aimed at integrating safe, trustworthy and ethical AI considerations into national and state level AI strategies and programs, ensuring that the deployment of AI technologies s aligns with public welfare and adheres to international norms and standards.
The workshop was attended by senior officials from various central ministries, state governments, NITI Aayog and industry partners such as NASSCOM, ensuring broad representation of perspectives. An in-depth dialogue on the concept of safe and trustworthy AI, its ethical implications and societal impact of AI technologies was deliberated through panel discussions with breakout sessions on India leveraging ethical implementation of AI.
The inaugural session was graced by eminent dignitaries – Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India; Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Mr. Tim Curtis, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia and Ms. Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences.
The workshop was also attended by Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President of NASSCOM; Shri Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Center for Government Digital Transformation; Mr. James Wright, Program Specialist, Section of Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology, UNESCO Headquarters; Mr. Joe Hironaka, Regional Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO Regional Office, Bangkok; Mr. Jian Xi Teng, Program Specialist, Education, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia and Ms. Eunsong Kim, Program Specialist, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office.
In his inaugural address, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, PSA, said, “As AI raises concerns over ethics and its societal implications, India aims to adopt a balanced approach to AI. India has launched several initiatives, including the India AI Mission to drive the development and adoption of AI. Globally, UNESCO has played a commendable role in promoting AI ethics across the world and bringing UNESCO Member States to support the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI is a great example.
Shri Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY, explained, “When it comes to the use of the word ethics, we prefer to define it in terms of building safe and reliable AI that will not result in harm to the user ; which will ensure a framework that will promote innovation and limit the risks linked to AI.
AI is expected to add nearly $500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, driven by advancements in various sectors such as healthcare, financial services and telecommunications. To support this vision, MeitY has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the IndiaAI mission. This mission aims to further catalyze technological empowerment across the country through its key components including IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Center (IAIC), IndiaAI Dataset Platform, IndiaAI Dataset IndiaAI app development, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing and Safe. & Trusted AI.
The full workshop agenda included sessions on the fundamentals of AI, the ethical dimensions of AI, the role of UNESCO in AI ethics, and the current policy landscape of AI in India. By collectively improving understanding and preparing for the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. The workshop aimed to establish a foundation for informed policy development that promotes equitable and sustainable adoption of AI nationally.
“AI has immense potential to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); it also poses significant ethical and practical risks if deployed without appropriate frameworks ensuring ethical development and use. UNESCO aims to support the Government of India in integrating ethical considerations into national and state-level AI strategies and programs, ensuring that the deployment of AI technologies aligns and adheres to international norms and standards outlined in THE UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,” said Mr. Tim Curtis, UNESCO India Representative and Director of UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, in his speech.
As a speaker at the discussion on AI in India: Policies and Practices, NASSCOM President Ms. Debjani Ghosh said, “First, humans need to adhere to ethical standards and then extend these principles of AI. Ethics is about fairness and inclusion; we cannot afford a closed system in which only a few companies control AI.
The “Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence” was unanimously adopted in November 2021 by all 193 UNESCO Member States and constitutes the first international normative instrument on the ethics of AI . The protection of human rights and dignity is the cornerstone of the recommendation. This is largely based on fundamental principles such as transparency and fairness, as well as ensuring the essential role of human oversight in maintaining controls in AI systems.
UNESCO works with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, to ensure that the core values and principles of the Global Recommendation are translated into concrete policy actions on data governance, environment and ecosystems, gender, education and research, as well as health and social protection. well-being, among many other areas.
