26 November 2024, Belgrade, Serbia – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) hosted a session during the 9th annual meeting of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) – South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG).
The session hosted by PAM, entitled “AI & Emerging Tech: Preventing Misuse and Advancing Regulation”, was led by Hon. Abdelouahab Yagoubi (Algeria), PAM Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence, and Hon. Tijana Davidovac (Serbia).
Discussions addressed the pressing need for stronger regulatory frameworks for AI and emerging technologies, both at national and international levels, especially with the growing risk that these technologies are being exploited by criminal and terrorist groups.
In her address, Hon. Davidovac conveyed concerns on the threat posed by disinformation and deepfakes fueled by AI, to influence elections, incite social unrest, and undermine global efforts on critical issues, such as climate change, where AI-driven manipulation campaigns are becoming increasingly pervasive. She underscored the importance of international cooperation and coordination, highlighting key regulatory frameworks designed to address the ethical development and use of AI.
Hon. Yagoubi presented the key findings of the recent report produced by PAM-CGS, in collaboration with the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), entitled “The Malicious Use of AI and Emerging Technologies by Terrorist and Criminal Groups: Impact on Security, Legislation, and Governance”, which details how terrorist and criminal organizations are increasingly exploiting AI for their purposes, including fake news, disinformation, recruitment, and funding activities.
In addition, he stressed that regulatory frameworks for AI must carefully balance security concerns with the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, ensuring that countermeasures do not violate international human rights law.
PAM-CGS will continue to build on these efforts by actively contributing to the 19th Annual Session of the IGF in Riyadh, next December, where it will co-promote and attend two side-events in collaboration with UNSC-CTED and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). //