Mme. France Marquet, SAF Representative to UNESCO, attended Reflection on artificial intelligence at UNESCO Headquarters

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News UNESCO Headquaters, Paris - 27th June 2018

Seminar was held on:-11th June, 2018
 
Mme. France Marquet, SAF Representative to UNESCO, attended Reflection on artificial intelligence at UNESCO Headquarters
On 11 June, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean-Michel Jarre participated in a seminar on artificial intelligence organized by the Permanent Delegations of Brazil and Turkey to UNESCO.


The seminar took place at a time when the debate on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence is growing, arousing hope but also worry.

"Artificial intelligence is for humanity a new border to cross and that will revolutionize our existence, our ways of life, our ways of learning, of working, of producing, of living together. This revolution has already begun and many aspects of our lives are already being transformed by these new technologies", said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in her opening speech. Ms Azoulay highlighted the need for UNESCO to work on the ethical aspect of artificial intelligence in the areas of competence of the Organization such as education, culture and sciences are directly concerned by the use of these technologies.

During his speech, Luc Ferry, philosopher and keynote speaker of this seminar, stressed the importance of artificial intelligence in the upcoming decades, considering the latter as the heart of a new industrial revolution. Luc Ferry also emphasized the need for governments to prepare and anticipate the job transformation process resulting of artificial intelligence.

The reflection on artificial intelligence continued with a panel discussion moderated by the actress Maria Fernanda Cândido. Among the speakers, the pioneer in electronic music and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean-Michel Jarre, the Director of DATAIA Institute (Data Sciences, Intelligence & Society) Nozha Boujemaa, the Professor Vanessa Evers, the Postmodernist Specialist Jorge Forbes and the Entrepreneur Faruk Eczacibasi.

Jean-Michel Jarre highlighted the major role that artificial intelligence could play in many fields under UNESCO's mandate such as weather risk prevention or education. He proposed his support to the initiative of UNESCO Director-General to open a discussion on the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence within the Organization and to develop artificial intelligence in Africa in order to globalize knowledge while preserving communities. "Artificial intelligence is not a threat, nor is the fission of the atom and other discoveries. It all depends on how it is developed", said the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador during the discussion.

Jean-Michel Jarre was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in May 1993, in recognition of his dedication to the ideals and objectives of the Organization.