Statement by the Representative of the Russian Federation Ms. Evgenia Dmitrieva at the 10th UN Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals
Distinguished Chair,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
My name is Evgenia Dmitrieva, I represent the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, a civil society institution committed to promoting civic engagement and representation in our country
To date, we have made meaningful progress in removing barriers to equality between women and men and in women’s empowerment. However, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has led to the emergence of new challenges in this area.
Nowadays, AI already helps to make decisions about who gets hired, who receives loans, and how diagnoses are made. And it is doing so based on datasets that may provoke inequality. Intentional or unintentional distortion of AI algorithms and data used for its training may result in the products of such systems containing elements of discrimination, for example, against women.
If we are serious about ensuring that the use of AI does not hinder equality between men and women, here is what we should start with:
- Mandate independent audits for bias based on sex in AI systems used in employment, healthcare, finance, and justice – before its deployment, not after harm is done;
- Create and fund open, reliable sets of data in the areas of health, labor, finance, and education free from bias, including based on sex. Make such “data banks” available to countries of the Global South;
- Consider the risks associated with algorithm errors and distorted data for training AI systems when preparing relevant regulatory frameworks, as well as in the context of work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
We are convinced that such steps could help mitigate a significant number of challenges associated with the use of AI.
Thank you.
