UN calls for a moratorium on the use of AI that threatens human rights

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet has called for a moratorium on the use of AI technologies that pose a serious risk to human rights, including face scanning systems that track people in public places.

Applications that should be banned include government “social assessment” systems and certain AI-based tools that divide people into groups, such as based on the ethnicity or gender.

The UN Human Rights Office released a report on Wednesday warning of the risks associated with artificial intelligence technology and emphasizing that while artificial intelligence can serve for good, it can also be disastrous if used irresponsibly.

The report says that some countries and companies have rushed to use artificial intelligence systems that affect people’s lives, without creating adequate safeguards to prevent discrimination and other harm.

Bachelet did not call for a complete ban on facial recognition technology, but said governments should stop real-time face scanning until they can demonstrate that the technology is accurate and meets certain privacy and data protection standards.

Let me remind you that we talked about how the Chinese authorities use AI to analyze emotions of Uyghur prisoners, and also that China officially legalized the “Social Credit System”.