The Commission comprises senior leaders from faith and civil society institutions around the world, working together to harness the opportunities of Artificial Intelligence for human flourishing while protecting communities from harm.
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“We are in the midst of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has begun and promises to further transform nearly every aspect of our economy and society, bringing with it huge opportunities but also risks that could threaten global stability and undermine our values”
Introduction to the AI Safety Summit
UK Government
In November 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and His Majesty’s Government hosted the international AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, London. The AI Safety Summit marked the first intergovernmental meeting to discuss the specific challenges that AI poses to our communities and the need for international legislation and protections.
The advancement of AI presents many ethical and practical implications for Global Society. The Commission exists to ensure that faith and civil society are fully engaged in the development of Artificial Intelligence and to inform public debate, policy and international legislation
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AI Faith & Civil Society Commission
October 2023
High Level Meeting
In the week before the AI Safety Summit, the first High Level meeting for Faith & Civil Society Leaders on the implications of Artificial Intelligence on Global Society was convened by the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum and hosted by Google, with the support of the Good Faith Partnership.
The High Level meeting, chaired by the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, discussed some of the key themes of shared concern from the perspective of faith or belief groups and civil society organisations. To ensure government engagement, participants representing a diverse range of faith and community groups addressed the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, in an open letter highlighting the pressing need to include civil society perspectives around the following:
- Ensuring Accountability
- Enabling the Accessibility of Progress
- Establishing Ethical Guidelines
- Addressing Short-Term Harms
- Including Diverse Voices
- Closing the AI Literacy Gap
November 2023
AI Safety Summit
Recommendations from the High Level Meeting on engaging faith and civil society leaders are fed into the AI Safety Summit.
December 2023
Commission Summit
The inaugural meeting of the international AI Faith & Civil Society Commission was held in Westminster Central Hall, titled "Ethical Foundations, Collaborative Action: Building Human-Centred AI with Shared Values".
During the Summit, it was agreed that one of the key next steps in effective AI regulation must be to build bridges between generalists and specialists and have a more holistic approach to AI development and governance. Attendees voted that the five key values that should underpin this approach are Truth, Transparency, Justice, Trust and Accessibility.
Speakers and delegates shared the importance of keeping human voices at the heart of AI development, especially bringing in the voices of society’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities.
February 2024
Abu Dhabi Meeting
The Commission's first official in-person meeting in Abu Dhabi for a 2.5-day conference 'Beyond Values: Paving the Way for Virtuous AI'.
Speakers included His Eminence Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, president of Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace; Dr Omar Al Derei, Director of the Ifta Department at the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments; and Father Paolo Benanti, Professor at the Gregorian University and Pontifical Advisor on AI among many others. During the conference, participants workshopped four of the key values identfied in December: ‘accessibility’, ‘transparency’, ‘justice’ and ‘truth’, in sessions led by one of the Commission’s experts.
