AI Action Summit in Paris calls for human-centric approach towards AI use

The AI Action Summit in Paris underscored the need to reinforce a diverse AI ecosystem, emphasising a human-centric, rights-based, and ethical approach to artificial intelligence.

With a focus on safety, and security, the summit called for urgent action to address inequalities and support capacity-building in developing countries.

A total of 58 countries, in addition to the European Union and African Union, are the signatories of the joint statement released following the Action Summit co-chaired by India and France. It is pertinent to note that two big names who refused to sign the statement are the United States and the United Kingdom.

The statement on 'Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet' released after the Paris AI Summit stated, "This Summit has highlighted the importance of reinforcing the diversity of the AI ecosystem. It has laid an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach that will enable AI to be human rights-based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy while also stressing the need and urgency to narrow the inequalities and assist developing countries in artificial intelligence capacity-building so they can build AI capacities."

The summit also acknowledged the significance of current initiatives on AI, such as the UN General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, and the work of organisations like UNESCO, the G7, and G20.

"Acknowledging existing multilateral initiatives on AI, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI, the African Union Continental AI Strategy, and the works of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe and European Union, the G7 including the Hiroshima AI Process and G20," the statement said.

The summit also set some priorities, including -- promoting AI accessibility, ensuring ethical development of AI, innovation, and making AI sustainable.

"We have affirmed the following main priorities: Promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides; Ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all; Making innovation in AI thrive by enabling conditions for its development and avoiding market concentration driving industrial recovery and development; Encouraging AI deployment that positively shapes the future of work and labour markets and delivers opportunity for sustainable growth; Making AI sustainable for people and the planet; and Reinforcing international cooperation to promote coordination in international governance," the statement added.

Prime Minister Modi is currently on a visit to France from February 10-12. He co-chaired the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.

Following this, PM Modi will visit the United States on February 12-13 and hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump and other senior leaders of the US administration.