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Past Project

AI: Global Governance and Inclusion

AI-based technologies and applications offer tremendous opportunities to build a better world. Advanced systems can be used to enhance educational instruction, improve the efficiency of transportation infrastructure, fight epidemics, support the elderly, and combat corruption, to name just a few examples. However, AI-based technologies can also deepen existing inequalities and create new ones if not developed and deployed in thoughtful ways with appropriate governance safeguards and support mechanisms in place. In a world challenged by growing domestic and international inequalities, policymakers face hard problems and difficult choices when dealing with AI systems.

We are working to fill a need for policymakers at all levels by developing best practices, model legislation, and informational resources necessary for effective decision-making. Our interactions with national and international policymakers have revealed three cross-sectional sets of questions to be addressed to bolster the use of AI for the public good: (1) How can the information asymmetries between technologists and policymakers be reduced, given the complex nature of AI technology? (2) What are all the instruments available in the governance toolbox - borrowing also from previous global governance challenges - that can be applied to AI issues? (3) How can academia contribute to the formation of robust discussion forum to inform the debate about global AI governance challenges and solutions? In order to explore these questions, we are working directly with policymakers and multi-stakeholder groups to make progress towards a more inclusive future.


Our Work 26

News
Feb 23, 2021

Ethics and Governance of AI and Robotics

A contribution to the SIENNA project

A contribution to the SIENNA project

News
Nov 5, 2019

German President Steinmeier discusses digital technology ethics at BKC event

The President of Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, joined the Berkman Klein Center for a special event

News
Oct 11, 2019

Ethics and Governance of AI at Berkman Klein: Report on Impact, 2017-2019

We take stock of our first two years of work on the Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative

Medium
Apr 25, 2019

The Role of Professional Norms in AI Governance

Some Observations and Outline of a Framework

Reflecting on professional norms that emerge around the use and development of AI

News
Mar 27, 2019

Inside The R&D Of AI Ethics

Designing a roadmap for AI governance

It’s clear that the roadmap for AI governance won’t rely solely on business or academic research. That's where Assembly comes in.

Dec 14, 2018

Embracing AI for the Social Good

The Imperative to Engage Globally

Three key challenges to promoting AI for the social good

News
Aug 13, 2018

Helping Global Policymakers Navigate AI’s Challenges and Opportunities

Giving policymakers practical steps to help close the many gaps they see in understanding how to deal with Artificial Intelligence technologies

News
Jul 11, 2018

Global Governance and Inclusion

Reframing the Global Debate Around AI

A look at lessons we’ve learned in our work as part of the Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative,

News
Jun 21, 2018

Data Commons Version 1.0

A Framework to Build Toward AI for Good

The increased use of AI for purposes ranging from health to food security to global infrastructure has resulted in a greater interest in how we should manage big data.

News
May 9, 2018

Global AI Dialogue Series: Hong Kong SAR, China

Takeaways from the Asia Pacific-US AI Workshop: Measuring Impact, Building Inclusive AI, and Bolstering Trust in the Digital Ecosystem

The Asia-Pacific region and the U.S. are pioneers and early adopters of numerous innovations in the ongoing AI and automated systems technological revolution.

Event
Apr 17, 2018 @ 12:00 PM

Honoring All Expertise: Social Responsibility and Ethics in Tech

featuring Kathy Pham & Friends from the Berkman Klein Community

Learn more about social responsibility and ethics in tech from cross functional perspectives featuring social scientists, computer scientists, historians, lawyers, political…

Mar 26, 2018

Inclusion in Action: Voices and Perspectives from Colombia

The Centro de Internet y Sociedad de la Universidad del Rosario (ISUR) and the Berkman Klein Center co-host a highly interactive one-day workshop in Bogota

News
Feb 28, 2018

Your Guide to BKC@SXSW 2018

Headed to SXSW this year? If so, be sure to check out some of these panels and discussions led by members of the Berkman Klein community.

News
Feb 22, 2018

Why Inclusion Matters for the Future of Artificial Intelligence

The development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies hold tremendous promise for much of the world, including the Global South.

News
Feb 22, 2018

New Website Draws on International Perspectives to Highlight Issues related to Inclusion and Artificial Intelligence

This new suite of resources aims to establish key themes, questions, and opportunities for ensuring that voices and perspectives from diverse populations help shape the future of…

News
Jan 26, 2018

Global AI Dialogue Series: Beijing

Observations from the China-US Workshop in Beijing, December 2, 2017

In December 2017, the Berkman Klein Center co-hosted an exploratory workshop in Beijing, China with Tsinghua University’s School of Public Policy and Management and the MIT Media…

Dec 20, 2017

Berkman Klein at IGF 2017

This week marks the 12th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance.

News
Nov 30, 2017

Charting a Roadmap to Ensure AI Benefits All

An international symposium aimed at building capacity and exploring ideas for data democratization and inclusion in the age of AI.

Publication
Nov 20, 2017

A Layered Model for AI Governance

​AI-based systems are “black boxes,” resulting in massive information asymmetries between the developers of such systems and consumers and policymakers.

News
Sep 13, 2017

Artificial Intelligence "Gaydar"

Tressie McMillian Cottom examines a recent public debate about a new research article on AI

Event
Jul 11, 2017 @ 12:00 PM

Weapons of Math Destruction

How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Please join us for a timely discussion of the role of data science in public life. All are welcome at this free event open to the public!

News
Jun 27, 2017

AI and the Law: Setting the Stage

We as a society are only beginning to understand the ethical, legal, and regulatory challenges associated with AI, as well as develop appropriate governance models and responses.

News
Jun 23, 2017

Global AI Dialogue Series: Seoul

Observations from Seoul Workshop, June 23, 2017

Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society in collaboration with K Governance and Media Lab and the Digital Asia Hub Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from an…

News
Jun 1, 2017

AI Advance

A Community Convening at Harvard Law School to advance the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative

Reflecting and engaging on the societal challenges of AI and related technologies

Medium
May 18, 2017

Autonomous Systems — Is it time for empirical research?

Urs Gasser asks: Is the emerging field of AI ethics and governance ready for empirical research?

News
May 15, 2017

Some starting questions around pervasive autonomous systems

Jonathan Zittrain defines some of the cross-cutting questions arising from the mainstreaming of applied artificial intelligence


Community 09

Digital Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School

Can Data Become Part of a Development Strategy?

Data should become an enabler of new models of cooperative growth

Apr 2, 2019
Sabelo.io

God in the image of white men: Creation myths, power asymmetries and AI

Dismantling inequality in AI with marginalized voices in leadership

Mar 29, 2019
Medium

Why AI Needs Social Workers and “non-tech” Folks

Incorporating social work and values into community-based AI research

Mar 24, 2019
Medium

Build first and ask questions later?

Three hidden vulnerabilities of artificial intelligence

Three dangerous properties of AI that could be setting us up for another painful process of self-correction

Dec 10, 2018
News

Evaluating the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights

Profiling six areas where current deployments of artificial intelligence are having an impact on human rights

Sep 27, 2018
Medium

Putting the J(ustice) in FAT

Ben Green calls for the disentanglement of the concepts of unfairness and injustice within the Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency movement.

Feb 26, 2018
Medium

The Robot Dog Fetches for Whom?

"A boy sits with his dog at the edge of a beautiful and serene lake. Under the blue sky, the far shore is visible, with a short wide beach and green woods behind it. The boy wears…

May 7, 2017
Video

Openness and Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

Jonathan Zittrain, faculty director of the Berkman Klein Center and Professor at Harvard Law School

Jonathan Zittrain discusses the role regulators and oversight groups might play as AI becomes more and more woven into the fabric of society

Jan 11, 2017
Video

The Geographic Opportunities and Challenges of AI

Malavika Jayaram of the Digital Asia Hub

Malavika Jayaram discusses the language we use to talk about Artificial Intelligence, and the impact of AI in Asia.

Jan 11, 2017

People 08

Team


Related Projects & Tools 01

Youth and Media

Youth and Media (YaM) encompasses an array of research, advocacy, and development initiatives around youth (age 12-18) and digital technology.