Advising Governments

Through this project we assist - in the public-interest - policy-makers and decision-makers working in governments across the globe, particularly in the Majority World, in dealing with pressing challenges related to innovative digital technologies (including AI, XR, and the Metaverse). We place a  particular emphasis on  translating existing policies and best practices into actionable outputs and implementation projects.

Past governments (a-z) efforts include:

• Colombia. We have contributed to a number of high-impact projects through the AI Expert Mission, a group of scholars and experts convened by former President Ivan Duque. These include interventions aimed at attracting talent to develop AI technologies in Colombia, innovative multi-stakeholder models to proactively manage how AI shapes the future of work in the region, and recommendations for how AI can be leveraged to promote ecological sustainability. We also helped create a number of products and initiatives that will continue to lay the groundwork for AI development in Colombia that will  benefit all its citizens. For example,  we drafted the Ethical Framework for AI in Colombia, incubated  a national AI Policy Lab, and created  a learning platform to equip Colombian people with AI skills and knowledge. Read more about this effort here. Contact person: Sandra Cortesi.
• Finland (Helsinki). One of our flagship educational programs brought together a diverse group of people to analyze a real-world use case at the intersection of AI, education, and ethics. Read more about this effort here. Contact person: Lis Sylvan.
• Germany. In 2018, former German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel appointed a group of nine scholars and practitioners, including then-BKC executive director Urs Gasser, to the German Digital Council. Read more about this effort here. Contact person: Urs Gasser.

Current governments (a-z) efforts include:

• Chile. We are supporting the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation in the development and implementation of policies aimed at the promotion of talent for the deployment of AI systems. Contact people: Armando Guio & Lionel Brossi.
• France. We are mapping and discussing available technological approaches to address some of the most pressing contemporary child safety issues. Contact person: Sandra Cortesi.
• Switzerland. This effort, brought together by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, seeks to explore the concept of digital self-determination and what it means when looked at through different use cases and translated into practice. Contact people: Lis Sylvan & Sandra Cortesi.
• Thailand. Appointed by the Executive Director of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) several BKC staff and community members have been invited to join the newly formed International Policy Advisory Panel. The International Policy Advisory Panel has been created as a capacity for knowledge creation and exchange concerning a variety of policy and governance issues related to the digital transformation of society with an initial emphasis on policy and governance issues in the realm of digital finance, health, and government services. Contact people: Urs Gasser & Sandra Cortesi.