Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
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Missing Links in AI Governance Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO | Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute Over the next decade, Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) will continue to significantly impact societies. While these scientific and technological advances take place at an extraordinary pace, it is necessary that we simultaneously stimulate a global and inclusive conversation around their development and governance. It is in this context that Mila and UNESCO join forces to steer a collective work to identify and understand missing links in AI governance. This publication is a compilation of 18 selected submissions from a global open call for proposals launched in 2021. The works featured cross disciplinary and geographical boundaries, and include the perspectives of academics, civil society representatives, and innovators to help shift the conversation on AI from what we do know and foresee to what we do not, the missing links. The topics covered are wide ranging, including AI and Indigenous rights, Deepfakes, Third-Party Audits of AI Systems, AI alignment with SDGs, and the centralization of decision-making power AI allows. Policymakers and civil society members will benefit from the insightful perspectives brought forward to face the immense task they are presented with – which is to ensure the development of AI in a human-centred, responsible and ethical way, in accordance with human rights. 
The UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: Shaping the Future of Our Societies Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: German Commission for UNESCO | Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO | Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO The UNESCO commissions of Germany, the Netherlands and Slovenia with the support of IRCAI have jointly published a brochure on the UNESCO recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence. It summarizes the most important content in a compact manner and presents the central demands from the areas of health, culture, the environment, gender equality as well as education and research. The recommendation with its diverse topics is not only relevant for political experts, but it offers one for various areas of application of the ethical framework and thus serves as an orientation for dealing with AI in general. The brochure is available for the wider public in a number of formats including the original Adobe InDesign file that allows translations to be inserted and format pages, resulting in new versions of the brochure. Therefore, we strongly encourage all UNESCO Commissions from across all UNESCO regions Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean to use the text in the basic files and translate the content into their own languages, including using the graphic file to setup their own designs of the brochure. 
“I Don’t Have a Gender, Consciousness, or Emotions. I’m Just a Machine Learning Model” Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO | International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) An introduction to a forthcoming Gender bias in Artificial Intelligence report coming out on March 8, 2024. As we stand on the precipice of a technological revolution driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is imperative to ensure that this future is shaped equitably, representing all genders. With this essay we are excited to announce our forthcoming in-depth report on Gender and Artificial Intelligence in a partnership between IRCAI and UNESCO, set for release on March 8, 2024. As we prepare for this milestone event, we extend an invitation to experts, scholars, and all interested stakeholders to join us in our research. 
Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law for the Judiciary Year of publication: 2023 Author: Miriam Stankovich | Ivana Feldfeber | Yasmín Quiroga | Marianela Ciolfi Felice | Vukosi Marivate Corporate author: UNESCO What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? How does it work? And more importantly, how does it find its way into the judicial context? Technologies such as AI have been around for decades, but only recently have they begun to be used in a variety of justice and law enforcement settings. While AI has immense potential for the justice system, helping judges make better decisions, improving efficiency, increasing access, and helping to detect and prevent crime, there are also some important issues that justice stakeholders should consider as they prepare for a future in which AI is increasingly used in justice systems.In 2022, UNESCO launched two needs assessments. First, through UNESCO’s Artificial Intelligence Needs Assessment Survey in Africa, 90% of the 32 countries surveyed requested capacity building support for the Judiciary on AI. At the same time, a second global survey of judicial actors in 100 countries underlined the need for better understanding the use of AI in the administration of justice and its wider legal implications on societies.The “Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law” for the Judiciary responds to these needs and provides judicial actors (judges, prosecutors, state attorneys, public lawyers, law universities and judicial training institutions) with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand the benefits and risks of AI in their work. The toolkit will assist judicial actors in mitigating the potential human rights risks of AI by providing guidance on the relevant international human rights laws, principles, rules and emerging jurisprudence that underpin the ethical use of AI. 
Responsible AI in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: Palgrave Macmillan This open access book contributes to the discourse of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) from an African perspective. It is a unique collection that brings together prominent AI scholars to discuss AI ethics from theoretical and practical African perspectives and makes a case for African values, interests, expectations and principles to underpin the design, development and deployment (DDD) of AI in Africa. The book is a first in that it pays attention to the socio-cultural contexts of Responsible AI that is sensitive to African cultures and societies. It makes an important contribution to the global AI ethics discourse that often neglects AI narratives from Africa despite growing evidence of DDD in many domains. Nine original contributions provide useful insights to advance the understanding and implementation of Responsible AI in Africa, including discussions on epistemic injustice of global AI ethics, opportunities and challenges, an examination of AI co-bots and chatbots in anAfrican work space, gender and AI, a consideration of African philosophies such as Ubuntu in the application of AI, African AI policy, and a look towards a future of Responsible AI in Africa. 
Challenging Systematic Prejudices: An Investigation into Bias Against Women and Girls in Large Language Models Year of publication: 2024 Author: Daniel Van Niekerk | Maria Peréz Ortiz | John Shaw-Taylor | Davor Orlic | Ivana Drobnjak | Jackie Kay | Noah Siegel | Katherine Evans | Nyalleng Moorosi | Tina Eliassi-Rad | Leone Maria Tanczer | Wayne Holmes | Marc Peter Deisenroth | Isabel Straw | Maria Fasli | Rachel Adams | Nuria Oliver | Dunja Mladenić | Urvashi Aneja | Madeleine Janicky Corporate author: UNESCO | International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) This study explores biases in three significant large language models (LLMs): OpenAI’s GPT-2 and ChatGPT, along with Meta’s Llama 2, highlighting their role in both advanced decision-making systems and as user-facing conversational agents. Across multiple studies, the brief reveals how biases emerge in the text generated by LLMs, through gendered word associations, positive or negative regard for gendered subjects, or diversity in text generated by gender and culture. The research uncovers persistent social biases within these state-of-the-art language models, despite ongoing efforts to mitigate such issues. The findings underscore the critical need for continuous research and policy intervention to address the biases that exacerbate as these technologies are integrated across diverse societal and cultural landscapes. The emphasis on GPT-2 and Llama 2 being open-source foundational models is particularly noteworthy, as their widespread adoption underlines the urgent need for scalable, objective methods to assess and correct biases, ensuring fairness in AI systems globally. 
Generative AI and the Future of Education Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO. Assistant Director-General for Education, 2018- (Giannini, Stefania) The digital revolution has brought about significant changes in how we live, learn, and interact, with multiple waves of technological advancements. The current AI revolution represents a new and profound shift, particularly through AI's ability to simulate human language and conversation. This development challenges our understanding of language, intelligence, and the role of technology in education and society.As AI begins to generate human-like responses and knowledge, it raises fundamental questions about its impact on education, societal values, and our concept of humanity. Education systems are now grappling with how to integrate and regulate AI, which has been rapidly introduced into classrooms without sufficient oversight. The author emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the risks and ethical implications of AI, particularly in its potential to manipulate and shape knowledge systems. There is a need for balanced development, where AI technology is aligned with human values, and education remains a deeply human-centered process.UNESCO is working with countries to develop strategies for the safe use of AI in education, emphasizing the need for a cautious approach and robust regulatory frameworks. The overarching message is that while AI offers immense possibilities, it must be integrated thoughtfully to ensure it enhances education and society without undermining human agency, equity, or the foundational values of learning. 
Together for Peace: Silent Manga Catalogue Year of publication: 2020 Author: Walden Schertz | Jeremy Clay | Santibhap Ussavasodhi Corporate author: UNESCO Bangkok | Coamix This Together for Peace Silent Manga Catalogue is a compilation of silent manga – manga stories told entirely through illustration without the use of dialogue. These works of art were selected from 274 entries submitted by artists in 117 countries worldwide to join SILENT MANGA AUDITION® Round 13 held under the theme Together for Peace, in collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok, the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. Silent manga is a powerful medium of communication in the Asia-Pacific. Although the region is the most diverse in the world, it can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their background. Silent manga has no language barrier. These works showcase different reflections of peace as expressed by artists around the world while conforming to the Japanese manga style. 
The General History of Africa: A UNESCO Flagship Programme for Operational Strategy Priority Africa Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO As part of UNESCO’s Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022 – 2029), the General History of Africa (GHA) Flagship Programme responds to the challenge of reconstructing Africa and its diaspora historical memory and conscience by revisiting Eurocentric and colonial biases in the representation of their history and societies. It aims to advance a common identity and pride in Africa’s heritage, progress towards greater justice and an inclusive and fair future through the reappropriation and production of knowledge on Africa and its diaspora history in a manner that could contribute to the transformation of education in Africa and beyond. The GHA is aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063, The Africa We Want, the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 
UNESCO Futures of Education Report Explained by Members of the International Commission Year of publication: 2022 Corporate author: UNESCO Initiated by UNESCO, the International Commission on the Futures of Education has prepared a new report on how education can best shape the future of humanity and the planet. In this video, members of the Commission and its chair explain the main recommendations and defining features of their report, Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. The report is part of UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative which aims to rethink education and shape the future. The initiative is catalyzing a global debate on how knowledge, education and learning need to be reimagined in a world of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and precarity.