On December 2nd, 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated in the meeting of the OECD Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, held in a virtual format and in partnership with the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) & European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science & Technology (STOA).
The meeting was dedicated to discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Technology and Artificial Intelligence and gathered experts and parliamentarians from around the world.
On this occasion, Hon. Marianne Amir Azer, Egypt, who represented PAM, addressed an audience of over two hundred participants, to promote the Mediterranean legislative perspective to the meeting and to exchange on concrete initiatives taken by the Assembly in this regard.
In her statement, Hon. Azer highlighted the rapid progression of Artificial Intelligence and the link between AI and Human Rights. Therefore, Hon. Azer enhanced the importance of Parliaments, being the highest expression of the State, in connecting national citizens to their government. According to her, Parliaments have and share the responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil Human Rights. The Covid-19 pandemic has, indeed, proven that innovation technology can play a pivotal role in containing the spread of the virus, while at the same time it can undermine peoples’ rights.
Hon. Azer highlighted PAM’s commitment towards this topic, as it has already been stated in a PAM’s report entitled “PAM MPs for Human Rights”, which was presented at the 14th PAM Plenary Session in Athens. On that occasion, PAM decided to establish a Task Force dedicated to analysing AI’s potential benefits and expected threats to Human Rights. The Assembly, moreover, encouraged its Member States to set regulatory and legal frameworks, to ensure that the new technologies conceived do not pose any threat to humankind.
In her conclusion, Hon. Azer emphasized the degree to which PAM believes in parliamentarians and the essential role they play in raising awareness and in promoting AI-related education within civil society. Citizens, indeed, should have the right to access information about every aspect of AI development and deployment, through transparent communication, in order to obtain widespread confidence towards this new technology. Clarity is, undoubtedly, a key aspect needed to fulfil AI advantageous possibilities, and MPs have the constitutional power to ensure it, being the liaison between governments and people.
PAM’s participation in the event reflects the Assembly’s commitment to this important topic and its continuous work in verifying that all necessary measures are taken to achieve consensus on developing technologies, both ethically and responsibly, in full respect of fundamental rights and freedoms.