Eight tech giants have announced their pledge to apply the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The move by GSMA, INNIT, Lenovo Group, LG AI Research, Mastercard, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Telefonica demonstrates a substantial commitment to ethical AI practices. UNESCO's 'Recommendation on the Ethics of AI', ratified by all member states in November 2021, is the first and unique 'global standard for guiding the ethical development, deployment, and governance of AI technology.' The guidelines underscore the need for designing and using all AI systems in a way that respects human rights and safety norms.

Why does it matter?

UNESCO formalized the companies' pledge this week during its Global Forum on AI in Slovenia. It represents the first time private companies have engaged with the UN at this level over AI ethics. Essentially, applying the recommendations means the companies have agreed to incorporate the UNESCO Recommendation's values and principles into their AI practices.

Practically, this involves identifying and mitigating any negative consequences of AI technologies, protecting human rights during the design, development, procurement, sale, and use of AI products, and contributing to the establishment of smart regional regulations.

The commitment also includes the firms' efforts to strengthen their technical capabilities in ethics and AI, such as developing and implementing the UNESCO-recommended 'Ethical Impact Assessment tool'. UNESCO has also formed a 'Business Council for AI Ethics', co-chaired by Microsoft and Telefonica, to foster engagement with the private sector in this field. This public-private cooperation is viewed as key to using AI for the common good, as more than 50 nations are currently actively adopting the framework.