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WebCongress
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) continues to strengthen its global leadership in promoting ethical, inclusive, and gender-responsive artificial intelligence (AI) through its multi-stakeholder initiative Women4EthicalAI. This platform brings together women AI experts from around the world to ensure equitable representation of women in the design, development, and deployment of emerging technologies, in line with the principles set out in the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
As part of this agenda, UNESCO is participating in the Webcongress taking place on May 20鈥21 in Quito, Ecuador. The event will bring together more than 30 international leaders at the Qu贸rum Paseo San Francisco for a space of dialogue and collaboration on the role of women in the ethical governance of AI. Among the participants is Dr. Valeria Arg眉ello Castro, a member of the AI Ethics Experts without Borders (AIEB鈥揢NESCO), Ecuadorian academic, and former Director for Emerging Technologies Promotion at the Ministry of Telecommunications, who will represent the Women4EthicalAI network.
鈥淲ith women at the forefront and ethics as our foundation, we are unstoppable,鈥 said Dr. Arg眉ello.
The full event agenda is available at:
These efforts are especially relevant considering the joint report published by UNESCO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), titled The Effects of AI on the Working Lives of Women. The study reveals that only 29% of global positions in scientific research and development are held by women, who are also 25% less likely than men to have basic digital skills. The report examines the impact of AI across all stages of the employment cycle and raises key questions about its potential to either reduce or widen existing gender gaps.
Through initiatives like Women4EthicalAI, UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to a digital transformation that is not only innovative but also fair, inclusive, and driven by women.
