Dr. Alaa Shatnan, the director of the UNESCO Chair, participated in the virtual seminar titled “Transforming Knowledge for Africa’s Future: Advancing the reflection and the action on the ethics of Artificial Intelligence” organized by UNESCO as part of the seminar series hosted by the UNESCO Chairs Network, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.

The seminar aimed at several objectives, including:

• Raising Awareness: The seminar aimed to serve as a platform to raise awareness about the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence and its significance in the African context.

• Enhancing Ethical Principles of Artificial Intelligence: Through keywords and interactive discussions, participants sought to unveil ways to integrate ethical principles into strategies for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. The seminar emphasized the importance of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in artificial intelligence systems.

• Implementing UNESCO Recommendations: The seminar highlighted UNESCO’s recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence and discussed the potential contribution of UNESCO in building capabilities in artificial intelligence in African countries and beyond to address the ethics of artificial intelligence.

• Promoting Collaboration: By bringing together UNESCO university chairs, their partners, civil society organizations, and other experts, the seminar aimed to encourage collaboration and partnerships that would enhance the African agenda on the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Experts and researchers from the United Nations and various sectors within UNESCO, as well as universities from South Africa, Ghana, and Namibia, participated in the seminar.

Translated into English by Saraa Mohammed