ADC debates on artificial intelligence
The Association for Civil Rights (ADC) took part in the online discussion titled “AI Regulation and the UN’s Global Digital Compact: Different Perspectives,” organized by Algorithm Watch and the World Federalist Movement. During the meeting, Valeria Milanes, executive director of ADC, emphasized the need to adopt the international Human Rights framework. “AI has an impact on people and society, and in its regulation, there must be an explicit statement committing to defend human rights,” she said.
In addition, Milanes pointed out that a similar stance must be taken as to the application of security mechanisms. “This means that the focus should divert from concepts such as national interest or defense and be placed, instead, on people’s capacity to use IT in their benefit without being exposed to disproportionate risks to their autonomy and identity,” she remarked.
ADC’s director also referred to the dangers of surveillance systems, an issue regularly addressed by the organization through its project Con Mi Cara No (Not With My Face). “Facial recognition is a subject of great concern in our region, because it has an impact on citizens’ human rights that has not been considered,” she said.
“The possibility of being under perpetual surveillance leads to silence and self-censorship, posing an immense threat to democracy. Human rights is the only path that our countries should take to move forward and apply these technologies, considering the particularities of the region and the use they are given in the global south,” she added.
Milanes’s presentation covered several of the topics undertaken in the UN Global Digital Compact, which had received key input from ADC. Digital security and the role of companies were also discussed in the session.
The event was attended by Gabriella Razanno, executive director of Open Up; Matthias Spielkamp, executive director of Algorithm Watch; and Robert Whitfield, chair of One World Trust and of the Transnational Working Group on AI at WFM/IGP, who acted as moderator.
