IGF 2024

Format description: Informal workshop convening a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors to exchange ideas, collaborate on challenges, and identify concrete actions for inclusion in the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. Policy Question(s): • What are the most urgent challenges and priorities in the development and deployment of sustainable and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), and what are the implications for development? How can we better harness the benefits and potential of AI to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while ensuring that we address the potential risks and misuse? • How can global collaboration across sectors help solidify and operationalize commitments that drive responsible AI innovation for both people and the planet? • How can diverse stakeholders come together to agree on concrete, actionable commitments around the five principles of the 2030 Agenda – People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership – to ensure the responsible use of AI for the SDGs? What will participants gain from attending this session? This informal workshop seeks to foster dialogue among a diverse group of stakeholders, creating a collaborative space where participants can actively shape the commitments for the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. By sharing their ideas and insights, participants will contribute to identifying concrete, actionable commitments. The session encourages creative thinking, multistakeholder collaboration, and practical problem-solving, ensuring that the commitments reflect a broad range of perspectives and drive responsible AI innovation aligned with the SDGs. Longer Description: Artificial Intelligence holds unprecedented potential to resolve global challenges. At the same time, it poses risks to exacerbate existing digital divides. Its sustainable and responsible development and deployment is integral to addressing current sustainability issues and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. Recognizing the urgency to act, a broad spectrum of stakeholders — spanning the public and private sectors, multilateral and regional organizations, civil society, academia, research institutions, and the technical community — convened at this year’s inaugural Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) on October 7-8, 2024. This high-level dialogue addressed the transformative role of AI in advancing sustainable development, marking a crucial step toward formalizing actionable commitments through the proposal for a Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs, to be endorsed at the next HSC in June 2025. The Declaration will represent a living, evolving set of commitments, agreed upon by diverse stakeholders. These commitments will aim to catalyze AI’s positive impact on people and the planet, and prosperity, ensuring that AI-driven innovations are developed and implemented in ways that uphold human rights, promote social equity, and prioritize ecological sustainability. As part of this, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and UNDP are initiating a multistakeholder global dialogue to develop the Declaration. In doing so, they reach out to a diverse range of stakeholders to contribute their expertise and support in shaping the commitments that will define the Hamburg Declaration. Expected Outcomes This session aims to identify critical areas of action that will shape the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. By contributing their sector-specific insights and expertise, participants will help to ensure the Declaration is both comprehensive and inclusive. These collective inputs will guide the formulation of commitments that drive responsible AI innovation in alignment with the SDGs. The IGF, with its diverse array of attendees, provides an opportunity to capture new perspectives across different backgrounds and geographies.
Facilitating Interaction: Ms. Chan will bridge onsite and online participants, using high-quality AV tools to ensure smooth communication. Ms. Amoyi will monitor the chat to bring in virtual questions and comments in real-time. Designing for Optimal Experience: All participant - if online or on-site - will have the oportunity to share their input. It will be a small circle of participants so a successfull discussion is guaranteed. Online Tools for Interaction: We plan to use Zoom or Teams, and Google Docs for idea sharing, and Miro for collaborative brainstorming, enhancing engagement for all participants.