News
Announcing the Call for Best Practices: UNESCO-LG MOOC on the Ethics of AI
As Artificial Intelligence becomes deeply embedded in our daily lives, the need for greater awareness and capacity building around its ethical development and use has never been more urgent. Engaging with ethics should be part of the very design of AI systems—not something to be added later. From education to healthcare, governance to entertainment, AI impacts us all. The question is: will it do so fairly, inclusively, and responsibly?
To explore this, UNESCO, in partnership with LG AI Research, is developing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the Ethics of AI. This global learning initiative aims to equip learners with the knowledge, tools, and critical thinking skills to navigate the ethical dimensions of AI.
Grounded in Global Principles, Designed for Contextual learning!
This MOOC builds on UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (adopted in 2021 by 193 Member States), the first global normative instrument on the subject. It aligns closely with UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), a practical framework for assessing how prepared countries are, to implement ethical AI.
Submission Deadline: 2 May 2025
What comes next?
The MOOC is currently under development, with planned contributions from leading AI ethics experts, universities, and institutions worldwide.
But the call for best practices is now live, and whether you’re designing AI, developing it, regulating it, or studying it, this is your opportunity to be part of something that matters.
Planned Course Structure for the MOOC: Three Tracks, One Global Goal
The MOOC is structured across three learning tracks, each designed to build understanding in a clear, accessible and engaging way.
- Track 1: Understanding Ethics in AI
What is ethics in AI and why does it matter?
- Track 2: Principles in Practice
Deep dives into the core principles of the UNESCO Recommendations: Transparency, Accountability, Inclusivity, Privacy, Sustainability and more
- Track 3: AI Governance Around the World
An overview of international efforts in ethical AI governance
Each track will include interactive lessons, expert interviews, and case-based learning modules.
Stay tuned for updates on the course launch, and in the meantime, and help us make ethics central to how AI is built and used around the world.
For more information, please contact Ms. Eunsong Kim (e.kim@unesco.org), Chief of Section, Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, or Mr. Abhishek Venkateswaran (a.venkateswaran@unesco.org), Project Officer, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia.
