Nighat Dad, the Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), has been appointed to the high-level advisory board on Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
This 39-member advisory board comprises accomplished individuals from around the world and will focus on addressing the global governance of AI. Their interim recommendations, expected by year-end, will concentrate on international AI governance, generative AI, and understanding the risks and challenges associated with these technologies.
The advisory board’s mission also includes exploring opportunities and mechanisms for utilizing AI to accelerate the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The announcement of Nighat Dad’s inclusion in the board was made by the UN’s Pakistan chapter.
Nighat Dad expressed her honor in serving on this high-level advisory board focused on the emerging field of AI. She emphasized her excitement to bring a global majority world perspective to discussions and underscored the importance of recognizing potential human rights issues that may affect marginalized communities worldwide as new technologies are embraced. Her goal is to address real-time threats and vulnerabilities faced by these communities and shed light on emerging problems through an intersectional lens, considering global AI governance.
Nighat Dad plays a crucial role as a global expert, bringing a human rights perspective to the debate on better global AI governance. She highlighted the significance of representing countries like Pakistan and the global majority, ensuring that the conversation encompasses the realities of various regions and countries, rather than being dominated solely by the Global North or certain groups.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed the transformative potential of AI for good and its urgent need, emphasizing AI’s potential to supercharge climate action and efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. He underscored the importance of responsible AI harnessing and accessibility, especially for developing countries.
Guterres hoped that the high-level advisory board would be gender-balanced, geographically diverse, and span generations. The board members bring a wide range of perspectives from government, business, the technology community, civil society, and academia to address these critical AI-related issues.
