Principles and recommendations for ethical development of AI are unveiled in the official launch of the Montreal Declaration

Université de Montréal, in collaboration with the Fonds de recherche du Québec, unveils the Montréal Declaration for Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence. This set of ethical guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence is the culmination of more than a year of work, research and consultations with citizens, experts, public policymakers and industry stakeholders, civil society organizations, and professional orders.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a major form of scientific and technological progress that can generate considerable social benefits. The development of AI, however, poses ethical challenges and social risks. It is incumbent on the various public and private stakeholders and policymakers, at the local, national and international levels, to ensure that the development and deployment of AI are compatible with the protection and fulfilment of fundamental human capacities and goals. 

“Université de Montréal has been at the heart of many scientific breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and I am pleased that a vast network of researchers and leaders from the scientific, legal, economic and political spheres has now coalesced around the social and ethical challenges related to AI,” said Université de Montréal rector Guy Breton. “I invite everyone with an interest in the subject to read the text of the Declaration and to sign it, so that their voice can be heard.”

“In addition to supporting the development of scientific expertise in artificial intelligence, it became important for the Fonds de recherches du Québec to take into account the ethical and societal aspects of progress in this field of research. With that in mind, I salute the work that led to the launch of the Montreal Declaration for Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, developed in collaboration with civil society. The new International Observatory on the Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, announced yesterday, will most certainly be based on the principles contained in the Declaration” adds Rémi Quirion, Chief Scientist of Quebec.

Dr. Yoshua Bengio, a member of the Montréal Responsible AI Declaration Steering Committee, added: “As a scientist, I feel a great responsibility to see to it that the outcomes of my research and of developments across the AI spectrum are used for the benefit of as many people as possible. By integrating social responsibility principles at the outset of technological development in university and industry laboratories, we can have a truly positive and concrete impact. That is the distinguishing feature of this Declaration: it incorporates the concerns of all stakeholders in the field and rallies all of civil society around sound principles.”

Details here.