In response to the call for inputs by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), IT for Change and the undersigned civil society organizations, who are part of the Global Digital Justice Forum, welcome the opportunity to contribute to the thematic report on, ‘The Use of Artificial Intelligence and the UNGPs’.
Our response highlighted the key human rights risks linked to AI procurement and deployment by states and businesses across various sectors, including law enforcement, welfare, health, education, agriculture, etc. By providing examples of some key regulatory frameworks, policies, and promising practices, we called upon on states to regulate the AI ecosystem, not only to mitigate harm, but also to enable public value creation, equitable innovation, and safeguard the public commons from corporate capture.
Furthermore, we advocated for governments to devise stronger accountability frameworks for AI developers and deployers in both public and private sectors. States should also take measures to ensure meaningful and inclusive public participation in decision-making processes related to AI procurement and deployment, and institute effective mechanisms for grievance redressal. A crucial factor in enabling this is enhanced algorithmic transparency and the right to information in AI-related systems and processes, particularly in high-risk AI cases impinging on fundamental human rights. Mechanisms such as public repositories of algorithms to enhance transparency should be explored. Additional priorities for governments include capacity building of public sector officials to conduct due diligence and risk assessments, ensuring compliance with fundamental labor rights in the AI value chain, expanding public investments in open compute paradigms, and addressing the ecological impact of AI technologies.
Signatories:
1.IT for Change
2. Derechos Digitales
3. Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education (CLADE)
4. Article 19 Mexico and Central America Office
5. Research ICT Africa
6. Transnational Institute
7.Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
You can read the full submission here.