LATEST NEWS
Public announcement: CAHAI confirms observer status for IRCAI
On December 17th 2020, the Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the Council of Europe (CAHAI) decided at its plenary session to grant observer status to organizations that can contribute to the achievement of its objectives. IRCAI expressed interest in becoming an observer and the status was confirmed, so we will participate in CAHAI activities in 2021.
The final act in the establishment of IRCAI
On October 1, 2020 the Government of the Republic of Slovenia received an official notification from UNESCO, confirming that all formalities required to establish the first International Research Center for Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO (IRCAI) were completed. With this final act, the agreement on the establishment of IRCAI between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and UNESCO officially entered into force.
OBJECTIVES
Research, advocacy, capacity-building and dissemination of information about AI.
RESEARCH
Conduct theoretical and applied research in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies.
DEVELOPMENT
Develop open solutions to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals with specific focus on SDGs 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 17.
SUPPORT
Provide policy support to help Member States address the technical, legal, social and ethical challenges at the intersection of technology and policy.
TRAINING
Provide training for upstream and downstream capacity enhancement for artificial intelligence.
PARTICIPATION
Encourage multi-stakeholder participation and decision making in addressing the challenges raised by artificial intelligence.
DISSEMINATION
Disseminate information and encourage literacy about artificial intelligence.
PROMOTION
Promote measures for removal of gender bias in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
COOPERATION
Facilitate North-North and North-South cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence with special emphasis on supporting the development of a vibrant AI ecosystem in Africa.
STRATEGIES
Applying cutting-edge science to solve real-world problems.
RESEARCH
The goal will be to develop artificial intelligence-based tools, products and services to help UNESCO Member States accelerate their efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Legal, ethical, economic and societal implications of these technologies will be addressed to make AI fair, transparent, and ethical. Researchers will be provided access to data, tools, services, platforms and indicators relevant to AI.
Open AI Solutions, Build-Measure-Learn Model of Adopting AI, AI Future Scenario Planning, Cross-Disciplinary Reflections on AI, AI Observatory of SDGs data
POLICY INNOVATION
By exploring wider implications of AI on society the Centre will provide expert advice to policy- and decision-makers on how best to apply AI for SDGs. A set of guidelines, information collection protocols, AI tool kits, policy briefs and regional analysis of AI ecosystem will be prepared. Based on them the Centre will help build effective policy decisions and operational frameworks related to AI for public service delivery, greater transparency and accountability.
Development of Indicators, Policy Support, Multi-Stakeholder Platform, Civil Society Outreach
POLICY INNOVATION
By exploring wider implications of AI on society the Centre will provide expert advice to policy- and decision-makers on how best to apply AI for SDGs. A set of guidelines, information collection protocols, AI tool kits, policy briefs and regional analysis of AI ecosystem will be prepared. Based on them the Centre will help build effective policy decisions and operational frameworks related to AI for public service delivery, greater transparency and accountability.
Development of Indicators, Policy Support, Multi-Stakeholder Platform, Civil Society Outreach
AI TALENT
Education systems need to anticipate changes in the skills required in a world where interactions with people and environment are increasingly mediated by technology. The Centre will collaborate and partner with other institutions to address challenges to education in the digital age and develop tools, guidelines and content to address the changing education needs of the world. A connected network of centres will bring together academic expertise from world-class universities, industries, governments, and other stakeholders will provide insights for updating education systems.
Training, Networking
IMPACT AND OUTREACH
The Centre understands the need to communicate scientific research and to engage with the wider public in the spirit of Citizen Science. This will be achieved through public events, workshops and conferences specifically tailored to address AI research in developmental topics and specific SDGs. By boosting technology transfer, research results and policy support the Centre will reach out to other AI initiatives from public to private sector.
Advocacy, Engagement
IMPACT AND OUTREACH
The Centre understands the need to communicate scientific research and to engage with the wider public in the spirit of Citizen Science. This will be achieved through public events, workshops and conferences specifically tailored to address AI research in developmental topics and specific SDGs. By boosting technology transfer, research results and policy support the Centre will reach out to other AI initiatives from public to private sector.
Advocacy, Engagement
OPINION SERIES REPORTS
During 2020, IRCAI Programme Committees authored an Opinion Series on a range of topics around AI and sustainability, as part of a broader portfolio of IRCAI’s international initiatives. This opinion series explores what AI currently means to researchers around the world and across a wide range of disciplines in both AI and sustainable development, and was led by the IRCAI Executive Board. The views and opinions expressed by the authors are their own and do not reflect the position of IRCAI, but are illustrative of the wide range of opinions that reflect the many initiatives IRCAI is pursuing, from basic research to policy making in and around AI.
Opinion Series Report: AI Recommendation Regional Consultation UNESCO
Opinion Series Report: An AI-based Learning Companion Promoting Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All
CORONAVIRUS WATCH
tay safe, stay informed: follow the latest COVID-19 developments in your country in real time with this AI-powered tool.
The researchers at IRCAI approached the incumbent COVID-19 outbreak by quickly building on its proven in-house AI technologies with the intention to engage in raising public awareness and solving the challenge of understanding the pandemic across different computational dimensions and AI models and techniques. The team almost overnight launched a distinctively European dashboard the Corona Virus Media Watch that uses global and national news updates to create powerful narratives and visualizations, that ultimately can take us further into future predictions of how the pandemic is evolving across the world. The application is already being used by intergovernmental agencies such as UNESCO and OECD, including national policymakers, media and the public to observe the emerging trends related to COVID-19 in their respective country and the world at wide.
CONTACT
Jožef Stefan Institute
Jamova cesta 39
SI-1000 Ljubljana
info@ircai.org
ircai.org
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