Council of Europe: Amal Seghrouchni returns to the assessment of the AI
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
The Minister Delegate responsible for the Digital Transition and the Reform of the Administration, Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni underlined, Tuesday in Paris, the importance of integrating the cognitive and perceptual dimensions in the evaluation of technologies of artificial intelligence (IA).
This integration will make it possible to “better supervise AI technologies and to permanently protect freedom of expression and the formation of judgment in our democracies,” said the Minister at the 3ᵉ meeting of the Committee of Experts on the implications of generative artificial intelligence for freedom of expression (MSI-AI) of the Council of Europe.
Sharing a particularly lucid reflection on the transformations invisible to work in our societies under the effect of generative AI, Ms. Seghrouchni noted that if certain impacts of AI are measurable, others – especially cognitive and perceptual – are much less.
One of the major issues, she explained, lies in the ability of these technologies to strengthen subtle mechanisms of influence, such as nudging, through voice, facial expressions or simulated affective interaction.
Specifying that generative AI is not content to produce content but it amplifies our perception of the world and modifies our way of reacting to it, the Minister evoked as an example the creation of an emotional link between an adult and a robot with childish appearance in less than 30 minutes, noting that this type of interaction illustrates how attachment, perception, even behaviors can be influenced quickly, without users awareness.
To this end, it has questioned the capacity of companies to assess these effects, especially on the most vulnerable audiences: children, people with disabilities, or citizens in contexts of cognitive fragility. She wondered if, once a mentality is modified by these technologies, is it possible to go back? Can we imagine a form of “cognitive detoxification” at the generative AI?, She wondered.
This intervention is part of an evolving ethical and legal framework, while certain countries have recognized cognitive rights in 2020, opening a new field of reflection on fundamental freedoms in the algorithmic era.
The Committee of Experts on the impact of generative artificial intelligence on freedom of expression (MSI-AI) held its first meeting last April in Strasbourg.
He is responsible for writing a project of guidelines on the implications of generative artificial intelligence for freedom of expression, by the end of 2025.
