EU Statement – UN ECOSOC: Special meeting on Artificial Intelligence

Mr. President, Excellencies, dear colleagues,I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Let me first thank you, Mr President, for convening us today to discuss artificial intelligence, and how it can help us achieve the SDGs. The global community needs to address AI challenges and opportunities on different levels: gathering more scientific evidence;promoting more investments in talent and compute;fostering capacity building; and having the right regulatory and governance frameworks. Over the past months, the EU and its Member States have been at the forefront of global efforts to make AI a global public good.[Implementing the GDC - Global partnerships for AI]Today most developing countries face the urgent challenge of addressing "AI divides" while continuing efforts to close existing digital divides, a message that was underlined at the most recent Internet Governance Forum in Saudi Arabia. We must focus on inclusive digital connectivity, meaningful access, and usage, while also tackling data access, AI education, local AI innovation ecosystems, data governance, and algorithmic literacy. Strategies to mitigate AI risks and bridge the AI divides include:Establishing ethical guidelines and rights-respecting governance mechanisms for AI;Ensuring data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and accountability;Involving local communities, experts, and stakeholders, including those in vulnerable situations, in AI design and...