The Forum’s program featured two ministerial sessions, as well as a series of expert roundtables aimed at exploring the state of AI from different angles such as addressing gender bias in AI, ensuring transparency and non-discrimination, promoting environmental protection, and engaging with the private sector.

Ministers and representatives from different EU institutions and other regions of the world met at the Forum along with frontline experts in the field of AI ethics.

“We welcome the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. I consider it an effective instrument that seeks to regulate the use of AI in an ethical way,” said the Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavský, as he opened the Forum.

Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, highlighted in her speech: “Holding the first Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Prague under the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU marks a major milestone. This represents a real convergence of the efforts of UNESCO and the European Union to build strong institutional and regulatory frameworks around the world, to ensure ethical and inclusive technological change.”

“I am happy that the Czech Republic continues promoting a human-centric approach to digital technologies. The ambition of UNESCO's Recommendation is to protect human rights and human dignity and its implementation should be our ethical guiding compass allowing us to build strong respect for the rule of law in the digital world,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization Ivan Bartoš.

Furthermore, Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marek Havrda stated, among other things, that "artificial intelligence has enormous potential for the development of our societies and solutions to global challenges such as climate change. However, we must be able to ensure that it is used in accordance with general ethical standards. Today's first global forum enabled the sharing of concrete practices between ministers and experts from several continents. It is such an important step on the road to trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence.”

The Czernin Palace hosted the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

The Czernin Palace hosted the Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence