The AI Faith and Civil Society Commission have written an open letter addressed to Ms Anne Bouverot, France's AI Special Envoy, following an event that the Commission held as a fringe after the AI Action Summit.

The letter calls for greater partnership between the French Government and faith and civil society groups, drawing particularly on the following themes:

- Putting People First in AI

- Developer Responsibility

- Education and Reassurance

- Supporting Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups

- Creativity, Culture and Faith

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The AI Faith and Civil Society Commission have written an open letter addressed to Minister Feryal Clark MP,  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, following an event that the Commission held as a fringe after the AI Action Summit.

The letter calls for greater partnership between the Government and faith and civil society groups, drawing particularly on the following themes:

- Putting People First in AI

- Developer Responsibility

- Education and Reassurance

- Supporting Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups

- Creativity, Culture and Faith

The AI Faith and Civil Society Commissioners have come together to shape a number of recommendations to the UK Government with the aim of ensuring that opportunities of Artificial Intelligence for human flourishing are harnessed while also ensuring that communities are protected from harm.

The recommendations have three themes: Human Rights and Inclusivity, Representation and Partnership, and Transparency and Accountability. Each recommendation encompasses themes used in our case study collation exercise: privacy and freedom, dignity of work, moral autonomy, authentic relationships, cognition and creativity, and truth and reality.

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Faith Bytes delves into the pressing question of human flourishing in the age of AI. Rabbi Dr Bor and his guests, AI entrepreneurs and specialists, discuss how AI can contribute to creativity, freedom, and well-being, as well as the challenges faced along the way.

Episodes are available via YouTube.

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At our recent "Faith in Tech" roundtable, Commissioner Graham Budd chaired a session with experts from technology services and biotech, who explored AI ethics, particularly how personal faith perspectives could inform ethical practices in their industries. Key themes included the challenges of transparency, privacy, and bias in AI applications, especially given AI’s increasing influence over personal data and decision-making processes. Attendees discussed the need for more inclusive, cross-sectoral ethical standards and the importance of courageous, values-driven leadership within tech.

Read Commissioner Graham Budd's reflections about our first Faith in Tech Roundtable below.

The AI Faith and Civil Society Commission Mission Statement

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On the first day of the Abu Dhabi meeting in February 2024, Dr Kate Devlin delivered a 2-hour workshop on the importance of valuing 'accessibility' in AI development and regulation.

At the Abu Dhabi meeting, the Commission launched an international live platform mapping organisations working at the intersections of AI, faith and civil society. If you work for an organisation that isn't currently on the map but you believe should be, fill in the contact us form, stating your name/organisation/website alongside a short description of what your organisation does.

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Find out more about each of the workshops led by our Commissioners at the Abu Dhabi Meeting from 26-29th February 2024:

• Truth, led by Graham Budd, Faraday Institute for Science and Religion
• Accessibility, led by Dr Kate Devlin, Humanists UK
• Transparency, led by Rabbi Dr Harris Bor, London School of Jewish Studies
• Justice, led by Silkie Carlo, Big Brother Watch

On the last day of the Abu Dhabi Meeting, Jeremy Peckham presented on possible areas of research the Commission could explore following discussions from the December meeting. Suggested avenues included a risk assessment for impact on values and a review of existing legislation and regulation worldwide.

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Saqib Bhatti MP addressed attendees in our inaugural Summit at Westminster Central Hall, marking his first speech on Artificial Intelligence since his new appointment as Under-Secretary of State for Tech and Digital Economy.

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Following the High Level meeting in Oct 2023, senior leaders in faith and civil society signed an open letter to Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, The Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, highlighting the need to include faith and civil society perspectives around six key themes at His Majesty’s Government AI Safety Summit hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Bletchley Park. The letter was signed by 20 faith & civil society leaders from a wide range of organisations.