UNESCO is working with a group of high-level AI experts from all regions of the world to develop a Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) by 2022. This is a comprehensive assessment that examines the adequacy and relevance of existing national laws and policies to positively frame technological developments and measure the technical capabilities of officials and institutions.

Determine the appropriate action plan

RAM provides an assessment of a country’s legal, social, cultural, scientific, educational, technical, and infrastructural capacities for AI. It also indicates whether a country’s AI system complies with the values, principles and policy areas set out in the UNESCO Recommendations. It is carried out by national experts, contracted by UNESCO, who know the national context well. The final product of RAM will be a comprehensive report, which will enable experts and policy makers to determine what institutional and regulatory changes are needed to take advantage of this technology and, at the same time, address its deficiencies.

These changes can imply costly capacity building efforts, and UNESCO is committed to using its network and knowledge to support countries, particularly through its “AI Experts without Borders” network, launched in June 2023. This network will help countries develop policies, against international benchmarks.

50 countries will continue implementation in 2023

“Countries are at different stages of preparation for implementing the UNESCO Recommendations on the Ethics of AI, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. They also have different societal preferences, risk thresholds, and innovation environments. UNESCO takes these specificities into account while bringing an international perspective, so that we can learn together about effective ways to tackle AI challenges,” said Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Social Sciences and Humanities. .

This year, 50 countries collaborated with UNESCO on implementing RAM, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Brazil, Botswana, Chad, Chile, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Gabon, India, Kenya, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

National analysis that will contribute to international dialogue

The UNESCO RAM was implemented with support from the European Commission, the Government of Japan, the Patrick McGovern Foundation and the Latin American Development Bank (La Corporación Andina de Fomento-CAF).

Country reports, based on ADR diagnostic assessments, will be published in the UNESCO AI Ethics Observatory, to be launched in the coming weeks and will be launched with the Alan Turing Institute (UK). It will be an online transparency portal for the latest data and analysis on the ethical development and use of AI around the world, as well as a platform for sharing good practices.

A report summarizing the lessons in preparing for RAM will be published in the coming weeks. The results will provide insights that will inform the World Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, to be held in Slovenia in early 2024.