Muslim World League Convenes Faith and Development Leaders at UNGA, Proposes UN Code of Ethics for AI
A dinner in New York on the theme “AI for Everyone” ended with a recommendation that the UN Alliance of Civilizations draft ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence, and with three new Muslim World League initiatives.
During the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, the Muslim World League (MWL) hosted a dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street titled “AI for Everyone: Advancing Access and Opportunity in the Age of AI.” The event gathered faith, policy and development leaders to discuss how to ensure artificial intelligence serves people rather than the reverse. It closed with a recommendation to the United Nations and the announcement of three new MWL initiatives.
H.E. Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, gave the opening remarks. Special remarks came from H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai closed the program. Dr. Trey Guinn served as Master of Ceremonies, and Rabbi Daniel Kraus delivered a message of peace.
The first panel, “Faith and AI,” featured Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, Dr. Jihad Turk and Father Davide Meli, and was moderated by Andrew Sollinger of Foreign Policy. The second, “AI and Global Development,” brought together Ambassador Roya Rahmani, Antón Leis García and Laura Herman, with Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess as moderator.
The dinner’s central outcome, announced by H.E. Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, was a recommendation that the UN Alliance of Civilizations develop a UN Code of Ethics for AI. Under the proposal, a UNAOC-led committee of faith leaders, experts and technology companies would draft the code. Its first focus would be AI-generated content that fuels hatred, violence and clashes between civilizations.
Three new MWL initiatives
Al-Issa also announced three initiatives:
MWL AI Laboratory. It will be built with technology companies to serve religious, educational and humanitarian institutions.
Digitizing Islamic Sources. The project will make Islamic and Arabic books available to AI companies, with full respect for intellectual property rights.
Translation Monitoring Unit. It will identify and correct errors in translations of Islamic texts and share its findings publicly.
The event was held with the support of the United Nations and strategic partners New York University and the International Interfaith Research Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University. Foreign Policy and Axios were media partners.
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