A discussion was held on preparing for the ethical use of AI in Bangladesh

A brainstorming session on Bangladesh's readiness for safe, trustworthy and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was organized in collaboration with the Information and Communication Technology Division; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and Aspire to Innovate-a2i. On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, stakeholders including government officials, development partners, academics, representatives of the private sector and members of the civil society presented their opinions and recommendations in this exchange meeting organized at the BCC Auditorium of the ICT Tower in the capital Dhaka.

The exchange meeting discussed the importance of AI strategy, policy making and use of technology in all sectors including education, transport, garments, agriculture and commerce. If specific AI strategies are not adopted in these sectors, there will be severe losses at the national and international level. At the same time, the speakers mentioned the need for coordination with the international AI policy framework in formulating strategies and policies.

In the inaugural session, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak joined online and highlighted the significant ethical challenges in the transformation of AI technology while speaking as the chief guest.

Emphasizing the need for a multi-pronged approach to AI technical solutions, timely policy frameworks, regulatory frameworks and international cooperation, he said, 'We need to ensure that AI technologies do not increase technological disparity in our society, rather reduce the digital divide through its appropriate use and ensures the empowerment of all in society.'

President of the event, ICT Division Secretary Md. Shamsul Arefin said, 'We want to harness the transformative power of ethical AI for the benefit of all. We want to create a new future where AI technology contributes ethically to our society and helps build a sustainable smart society.

While speaking as the special guest, Secretary of the Cabinet Department (Coordination and Reforms) Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan said that we need to take important steps to fully utilize the potential of AI. He said, now it is necessary to identify the problems, possibilities and challenges of AI adaptation in formulating effective and sustainable strategies for the overall development of our society.

Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuiya, Project Director (Additional Secretary) of a2i and Chief Executive Officer of Agency to Innovate highlighted the preparation of Bangladesh government on AI in his speech. He said, 'We started working on AI from 2018, resulting in the creation of 'AI National Strategy 2019' in 2019. Now we are focusing on incorporating ethics into AI policy and AI law.'

European Union Ambassador and Head of Delegation in Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said, 'The European Union supports initiatives such as UNESCO's AI Readiness Assessment Methodology. Speaking on the subject, he emphasized legal, socio-cultural, scientific, economic and technological considerations in assessing the various stages of AI readiness.

Huhua Fan OIC, head of the UNESCO office in Dhaka said, 'Through our dialogue today, all relevant stakeholders have been brought together. These discussions are expected to create an opportunity to develop the RAM Country Report and its policy recommendations in line with Bangladesh's priority needs.

"All countries are impacted by AI, and emerging economies need a voice in the global AI race," said UNDP Bangladesh Deputy Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne. We want to empower Bangladesh with that voice.'

Ms Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO, said: 'At UNESCO, the conversation on artificial intelligence is seen as a social issue rather than just a technical one. Controlling these technologies is not an objective but to accelerate overall development by fulfilling human goals through proper management.

Panel discussions and breakout group sessions elaborated on the concept of safe and trustworthy AI, its ethical uses, and the social impact of AI technology.

James Wright, Program Specialist of the Section for Bioethics and the Ethics of Science and Technology at the UNESCO Headquarters and Huahua Fan, Head of the Education Program Sector at the UNESCO Dhaka Office, attended a panel discussion on the Global Governance of AI Technology at the event. The discussion was moderated by UNDP Senior Governance Specialist Sheila Haque.

Md. Afzal Hossain Sarwar, Head of Future of Education, a2i; Dr. Zulkarin Jahangir, Research Specialist, a2i; also spoke at the event.

The invited guests discussed the ethical application of the use of AI in various sectors keeping in mind the relevance and importance of UNESCO's global recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence.

The exchange meeting concluded with a group presentation led by Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuiya, Rumana Sharmin and Yunsong Kim and an assessment session on Bangladesh's readiness to use AI. The 'Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence' was unanimously adopted by UNESCO's 193 member states in November 2021, setting international standards for the first time on the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

In addition, Dr. Farig Yusuf Sadek, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at BRAC University, presented the basic concepts of AI technology and their potential risks. Along with him, Yunsong Kim, Program Specialist of UNESCO South Asia Regional Office, discussed the importance of considering ethical dimensions in AI development.

Bangladesh is actively working on artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance innovation capacity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In partnership with international organizations including UNESCO and UNDP, the Government of Bangladesh has undertaken various programs and initiatives to build AI-related capacity, develop and disseminate policy frameworks, and promote awareness of its safe-trust-ethical use. In association with this initiative of the government, a2i has started actively working on policy formulation and implementation of AI-related projects in various sectors.