By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The AI for Good Global
Commission has committed to two initial priorities for its first year, focusing
on expanding access to artificial intelligence and accelerating its adoption in
critical areas such as healthcare, education and workforce development.
The priorities were agreed
at a meeting attended by Commission Co-Chairs Rwandan President Paul Kagame and
Salesforce Chair and Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff, alongside fellow
Commissioners, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
At the heart of the
Commission’s agenda is a call for responsibility in the development and
deployment of artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on protecting the
people whose lives will be affected by the technology.
“The extraordinary power of
AI demands a profound commitment to the people whose lives it will change.
Companies must take responsibility for the technologies they build. Governments
must protect the well-being of their citizens,” Bogdan-Martin said.
She stressed that no single
sector could address the challenges and opportunities of AI independently,
calling for cooperation across government, civil society, industry, academia,
the technical community and international organisations.
The Commission’s first
priority, AI for All, will focus on developing a roadmap for an open and
responsible AI ecosystem that expands access, strengthens sovereign capability
and empowers local innovation.
The second priority, AI for
Action, will involve Commissioner-led projects to accelerate AI adoption by
scaling solutions in critical areas, including healthcare, education and
workforce development.
Bogdan-Martin emphasised
that trust would be essential to achieving the Commission’s objectives, noting
that AI must be developed and deployed on a foundation of safety and
responsibility.
The Commission brings
together leaders from government, industry and international organisations to
advance shared priorities for the future of artificial intelligence. Its
members include Estonian President Alar Karis, Icelandic President Halla
Tómasdóttir, Namibia’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma
Theofelus, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital
Economy, Dr ‘Bosun Tijani, and Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa, among
other global leaders.
Bogdan-Martin thanked the
Commissioners for their commitment to advancing the group’s priorities for the
year ahead.
