The Global Data Barometer was included among a set of projects discussed as part of a Rockefeller Foundation conference on ‘Designing a Responsible Future for Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ hosted at the Bellagio Center in Italy earlier this month.
Many of the questions around ethical and responsible AI explored in the conference ultimately came back to issues of data governance. Questions such as:
- Does a country have suitable legal frameworks to prevent abuse of personal data within AI systems?
- Is a country making data available to train AI systems in ways that minimise bias?
- Are companies involves in ‘data extraction’ from a country, or are approaches in place that support data sharing and collaboration around data for public good?
In discussions with conference participants, and particularly thanks to inputs from Stefaan Verhulst of GovLab, we explored how the concept of responsible re-use could play a key role in developing the Global Data Barometer framework.
Talking of the importance of data re-use points to the need for mechanisms to make the most of data resources collected both by governments and by other stakeholders. Methods to do this can include open data, data sharing agreements, and data collaboratives.
Talking of responsible re-use highlights the need to take into account potential risks from data re-use, including threats to individual privacy, or wider downsides of certain data being re-used.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be starting to put together the draft GDB framework, drawing on discussions at Bellagio, and looking deeper at the points of connection between a responsible landscape of data policy and practice, and a responsible AI future.