In September 2024, Partnership on AI (PAI) AI Policy Forum Held in New York City, it brings together global thought leaders, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the evolving landscape of global AI governance. From ethical AI practices to global interoperability, these conversations reflect our efforts to shape inclusive policies around the world. This new Q&A series will highlight some of the leaders who spoke at the forum and provide deeper insight into their work in AI and governance.
Today I’m sharing an interview with Shamila Ahmed, who gave a lightning talk at the AI Policy Forum.
As the founder and managing director of Data Economy Policy Hub (DepHUB), the first independent think tank founded by indigenous African women in South Africa, Shamila Ahmed is at the forefront of advocating for a holistic, human-centered approach to AI policy. She is a founding partner of the South African AI Association (SAAIA), a multi-global organization focused on ensuring that AI technologies do not exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly for globally marginalized communities. is part of a multi-stakeholder expert initiative.
Her contributions as Environment Co-Leader of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Policy Network on AI (PNAI) and Global Chair of the Digital for Development (D4D) Hub Civil Society and Academic Advisory Group (CSAAG). is a testament to her commitment to promoting inclusive transnational policy discussions. Shamila has led numerous transnational policy-oriented research projects and contributed significantly to publications such as the African Union Commission’s .data policy framework” and Global Partnership on AI Reporting “Towards true diversity and gender equality in artificial intelligence.“
In her speech at the AI Policy Forum, Shamila emphasized the need for international organizations like the United Nations to prioritize diversity, equity, and ethical considerations in the development and deployment of AI, and emphasized the need for international organizations like the United Nations to prioritize diversity, equity, and ethical considerations in the development and deployment of AI. He emphasized the need for development in appropriate locations. This Q&A explores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, barriers to AI adoption in the Global South, and how the Global Digital Compact can address historical inequalities to create a more inclusive future in AI. I will.
Shamila Ahmed’s speech at PAI’s AI & Policy Forum
Talia Khan: What is the biggest misconception the public has about AI and how can we better educate them?
Shamila Ahmed: A big misconception is that AI is neutral and objective, unaffected by human bias and the multidimensional historical and structural inequalities embedded in society. The inherently global nature of AI value chains shapes many global systems, perpetuating multidimensional structural inequalities, and the same unevenness that shapes the standardization, safety and security, and AI divides. People need to understand that they are shaped by power dynamics and exploitation. .
Many of the existing world structures still perpetuate institutionalized inequality, concentration of wealth, and the extraction of human and natural resources, and digitization and connectivity are needed to support sustainable development. It is impacting the country’s ability to adapt, adopt and use cutting-edge technologies such as AI.
Fundamentally, AI will reinforce existing disparities within and between countries by amplifying bias and other forms of marginalization related to race, gender, and socio-economic status, with devastating intergenerational effects. may give.
TK: Why do you think multi-stakeholder collaboration is important when shaping AI policy and how can we ensure all voices are heard?
SA: AI impacts a wide range of sectors and communities with different needs, facing different challenges, and potentially conflicting perspectives, so multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to shaping AI policy. is. It also requires a multidisciplinary approach to foster effective collaboration, cooperation, and coordination among multiple stakeholders to design and operationalize comprehensive AI policies.
AI will impact many aspects of society, including economics, ethics, law, science, technology and innovation, sociology, and even the environment. Complex and interrelated issues cannot be fully addressed from a single disciplinary perspective. By combining diverse perspectives, we can create AI policies that are fairer, more inclusive, more agile, and more proactive, reflecting the complexity of our interdependent global society. A multidisciplinary approach not only advances AI for a few countries with enablers and funds that will benefit at scale from AI-related disruption, but also ensures that AI governance supports responsible innovation and benefits all people. and ensure inclusive intergenerational benefits for the planet.
TK: What do you think are the most pressing issues in AI today, and how does your work address these issues?
SA: One of the most pressing issues in AI is the growing divide between the Global North and the Majority World. Inequality in all its forms is due to a number of factors, including not only technological disruption but also systemic disparities in access to resources and opportunities, and power relations embedded in “analog” social, economic, and political structures across borders. It is constantly changing and perpetuating depending on factors. In the digital economy.
At DepHUB, we use data-based systems such as AI to inform evidence-based policy and advocacy to ensure that policies do not perpetuate historical power imbalances rooted in inequitable global governance models. We are conducting a rigorous investigation. Instead, we advocate a critical analysis of existing systemic problems so that AI is guided by principles of fairness, distribution of power and wealth, intergenerational justice, and local ownership.
TK: What do you think are the biggest barriers to AI adoption in Africa and the rest of the world? How can international agreements address these challenges?
SA: The most significant barrier to AI adoption in Africa and the global majority comes from international institutions and value chains rooted in historical and continued extraction of human and natural resources by more powerful states.
International agreements need to be supported by other interventions, such as reforming the international forums in which these agreements are concluded, to ensure political will and fair multi-stakeholder representation. This is an essential aspect of overcoming the institutional exclusions that have shaped much of global governance. By designing international agreements from a level playing field with shared values, we will provide time-bound practical interventions to ensure majority world countries have an equal voice in shaping global AI governance. and address historical power imbalances that have long been marginalized. The focus should be on building basic digital public infrastructure, accessing digital public goods, supporting talent development, and fostering regional innovation to create sustainable homegrown solutions.
Finally, reform of International Development Assistance (IDA) is critical. We urgently need to move away from outdated donor-driven models that foster dependency, perpetuate bundled aid and create oligopolies. IDA should prioritize long-term investments in infrastructure, education, and governance rather than perpetuating dependencies through short-term program-driven efforts. By co-creating strategies with local stakeholders, you can build sustainable and equitable innovation ecosystems. This includes local engagement, decolonial socio-technical foresight, and the creation of policies that balance investor trust and ethical AI governance, sensitive to Africa’s unique socio-economic and cultural contexts. is required.
TK: How effective are the international policy community and initiatives like the Global Digital Compact in ensuring that the benefits of AI reach majority communities in South Africa and around the world?
SA: The international policy community and the GDC must begin by reflecting on the historical context of institutionalized inequality and resource exploitation that has shaped global governance. For decades, the world system has been structured in a way that prioritizes the interests of powerful nations, often at the expense of the world’s majority nations. If the great benefits of AI are to come to South Africa (one of the most unequal countries in the world) and other communities, information that reflects that we live in an era of many technological advances. A grounded approach requires consideration of deep-seated inequalities. Things that were once thought impossible or even unimaginable are being achieved.
A much-needed shift in approach will help create the conditions for AI to benefit all communities, not just the richest countries, especially those in the global majority that have historically been marginalized from global governance. There is a possibility. This is a time of opportunity, but also a time of responsibility. We are the ancestors of tomorrow, tasked with shaping the present in ways that ensure an inclusive future and prosperity for people and planet. Let us learn from past global governance failures and lay the foundations for future generations based on a vision of equity, sustainability and inclusion.
