UNGA79: Speech by Minister Veldkamp - AI for Humanity: Charting a Global Course for Human Rights-Based Governance (Freedom Online Coalition)

Speech | 23-09-2024

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a great pleasure to welcome you all – on behalf of the Netherlands –to today’s event on AI and human rights.

Artificial intelligence can drive economic growth and social progress.

It can predict diseases, hurricanes, and the effects of climate change.

And it can help solve the most complex global challenges, such as poverty and inequality…

But it can also go horribly wrong…

Algorithms that discriminate led to thousands of people in the Netherlands being wrongly accused of fraud by the tax authorities.

The consequences for families were devastating.

Artificial intelligence is a recipe for both progress and disaster, promise and failure.

And that’s precisely why we must ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly, with human rights at its core.

Some say that protecting rights hampers innovation.

This is a persistent misconception that keeps resurfacing.

Through the course of the Industrial Revolution we learned that protecting the rights of workers and banning child labour didn’t hinder economic growth.

In fact, it fuelled it… by creating healthier, more productive and stronger societies.

And we now see that when AI systems respect privacy, fairness and equality, they can propel sustainable development that benefits everyone.

That’s why we need robust international standards, norms and governance…

For example on how responsible AI in finance can give more people access to credit, while preventing discrimination, promoting digital inclusion, and helping us close the digital divide.

Much like workers’ rights during the Industrial Revolution, which boosted productivity and growth, innovation grows stronger when built on a foundation of human rights.

So I’m glad we’ve brought together such a diverse group today.

Because it’s precisely through this kind of broad international cooperation that we can build an AI governance model that both stimulates innovation and safeguards the rights of all people.

It’s this kind of collaboration that offers us the best chance of creating a level playing field, harnessing AI for the SDGs, and mitigating the human rights risks that AI can pose.

And that’s what makes our coalition different.

It’s a vital platform that is essential for protecting human rights in the digital age.

And while we might not be expanding quite as fast as a viral AI meme spreads… we are growing steadily.

In this light, it’s an honour to welcome into our group Cabo Verde, Slovenia and Colombia, who joined just a few days ago…

…strengthening our capacity to protect and promote human rights online all over the world.

As chair of the Freedom Online Coalition, the Netherlands is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and the human-centred use and development of technology at every level.

This year’s Global Digital Compact and the World Summit on the Information Society are new opportunities to do just that.

Here we can and must ensure that digital governance is grounded in human rights.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Unlike AI, I cannot predict the future.

But what I do know is this: the decisions we make now will determine whether AI becomes a tool for division or inclusion,

for exploitation or empowerment,

for recession or growth. 

Together, we must chart the global course for human rights-based governance… and write that recipe for true progress.

Thank you.