19 hours Ago By Kamya Pandey
Explainer Briefly Slides A group of global scientists and artificial intelligence researchers have signed a declaration urging international cooperation on AI research, particularly on the issues of AI safety, ethics, and societal impact. The scientists commit to prioritising research in the following key areas: aligning AI with human values, maximising its positive impacts, enhancing its reliability, and developing strategies to mitigate both current and potential future harms associated with AI technology. Named the Manhattan Declaration, this comes in the context of the United Nations high-level meeting “Towards a Common Understanding of AI Capabilities, Opportunities, and Risks: Forging the Path for a Positive Future for All.
” “The Manhattan Declaration is led by a top researcher/thinker in AI and supported by multiple individuals coming from different backgrounds. Importantly, this is one of the few declarations with a significant representation from the global south,” Dr Balaraman Ravindran, the head of the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) IIT Madras, one of the signatories in this discussion, told MediaNama. Dr Ravindran mentioned that while AI is a transformative technology, there is a need for the global scientific community to be vigilant about the risks it poses.
“The Manhattan Declaration rightly recognizes these risks and calls for an inclusive approach to AI governance,” he added. Key aspects of the declaration: The scientists and researchers state that they are committed to developing AI systems that are beneficial for humanity. They acknowledge the role of AI systems in attaining the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasize that the entire life cycle of AI systems must align with core principles, safeguarding human rights, privacy, fairness, and dignity for all.
The declaration states that since the impact of AI is global, the approach to its development should be fair and inclusive as well. The scientists also commit to promoting transparent research practices in AI, especially for work that can have significant implications for global AI safety and governance. They added that they recognise the need for insights from various fields (computer science, economics, social science and cultural studies) to address the challenges posed by AI.
As such, the scientists say that they are committed to interdisciplinary collaboration. The scientists support efforts by the UN and other national/regional organisations to develop evidence-based frameworks for AI governance. They commit to providing scientific expertise to inform these initiatives.
Further, the declaration expresses a commitment to considering the long-term implications of AI in their research and recommendations. “We urge AI scientists and technology-policy researchers worldwide and across sectors to join us in this commitment to responsible AI development and international collaboration,” the declaration reads. Also read:.
