Algorithmic Justice: An Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Latin America and the Caribbean

RESEARCH CALL FOR TEAMS OR INDIVIDUAL

– with emphasis on Ecuador –

Platforms for Social Dialogue

Registration closing: 2th September 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science that focuses on the development of computer systems and programs capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence; for example, speech recognition, computer vision, decision making, learning, and solving certain problems.

While its use can be very helpful, several problems that it may bring with it must be considered. For example, the transformation of work and the digital divide, which are intertwined with multiple inequalities that are reproduced in the region. Also, the changes and impacts it produces on privacy and surveillance, since, for example, the use of AI algorithms to collect, analyze, and use personal data raises concerns in this regard.

Inevitably, its use brings about changes in social interaction, because the integration of AI systems into our daily lives is changing the way we interact with technology and with other people. From customer service chatbots to virtual assistants in the home.

This is why it is crucial to consider ethics and responsibility when using AI, which raises important ethical questions about who is responsible when automated systems make decisions with significant implications for people. This includes issues of algorithmic bias, transparency, and fairness in the design and use of AI systems.

In summary, artificial intelligence has the potential to generate significant benefits, but it also poses significant social challenges that must be addressed carefully and thoughtfully to ensure that its development and application contribute to human well-being and social justice.

It is in this sense that the present initiative, carried out by the UNESCO Office in Quito and Representation in Ecuador, and CLACSO, seeks to ensure that the use of AI is geared towards addressing social challenges, promoting ethical and innovative solutions that foster justice and equity.

The project aligns closely with UNESCO's "Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence." The importance of this Recommendation lies in its role as a guide to ensuring that advances in AI benefit all of society, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups.

By adhering to these principles, this Call seeks not only to advance AI technology, but to do so in a way that respects and promotes human dignity, and social justice and inclusion.

This is a significant opportunity to advance the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), directly addressing critical social problems in Ecuador, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This effort focuses on the development and adoption of innovative, AI-based public policy solutions designed to directly tackle social challenges. Through strategic collaboration and a firm commitment to the ethics of AI implementation, the project aims to promote socio-technical solutions that comprehensively benefit society, with a particular emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable groups. Essentially, this project seeks to be a catalyst for technological progress that not only advances AI capabilities but also fosters social justice, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that the benefits of AI extend throughout society and contribute to solving fundamental social problems.

In turn, CLACSO promotes the development of Platforms for Social Dialogue (PDS), conceived as spaces for work, exchange, and multi-stakeholder and multidimensional proposals. Likewise, the CLACSO network has fostered spaces and initiatives for the participatory and collaborative production of knowledge on these topics, through previous research calls, working groups, training programs, and publications.

The main objective of the Call is the production of Policy Briefs that promote synergy between academic research and informed public decision-making, through the development of analyses, policy recommendations, and social intervention actions based on the ethical and responsible use of AI.

These documents should be addressed to decision-makers and other key stakeholders, proposing AI-based solutions to specific societal challenges. Among the main proposals are:

Promoting inclusion and equity: Using AI to combat inequalities and promote the social inclusion of vulnerable groups.
Ensuring transparency and ethics: Contributing to the development of AI solutions that adheres to principles of transparency, ethics, non-discrimination, and environmental sustainability.
Promote a positive digital transformation of the cultural and creative industries.
Disseminate the ethical principles of AI implementation according to UNESCO: Expand knowledge considering the UNESCO "Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence" in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting its integration into AI policies and projects.
Promote knowledge about ethical and applied uses of AI in Education.

Topics of interest for the call for applications and the policy briefs, related to the SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) promoted by UNESCO

Prevention of discriminatory biases based on skin color, ethnicity, gender, age and any other grounds for discriminationThis objective aligns primarily with SDG 10, "Reduced Inequalities." This SDG seeks to reduce inequality within and between countries, and its focus on promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or any other status, makes it the most suitable for this line of work.
Fighting climate changeThis objective is related to SDG 13, "Climate Action." This SDG calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The application of AI to develop strategies that counteract the effects of climate change is fundamental to achieving this goal.
Prevention of hate speech and AMIThis work relates to SDG 16, “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.” This goal promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provides access to justice for all, and builds effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Combating hate speech is crucial for promoting peace, non-violence, and justice.
EducationThis line of work is linked to SDG 4, which calls for "inclusive, equitable, and quality education throughout life." This SDG seeks to guarantee inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, ensuring that education addresses the major challenges of the contemporary world. AI can be a valuable tool for personalizing teaching and making education more accessible, especially for historically excluded groups. Furthermore, it is important to consider how to leverage new technologies and digital innovations to guarantee more integrative, inclusive, effective, and relevant learning in the contemporary world, from an ethical and educational perspective on artificial intelligence.
Copyright and open knowledge in the cultural sphereThis objective is related to SDG 9, "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure", specifically because of its focus on promoting innovation and sustainable infrastructure, from a perspective that values the balance between promoting open access to knowledge and culture through Creative Commons licenses, while protecting intellectual property rights, thus highlighting their importance in innovation and sustainable infrastructure.
Promotion of cultural diversity: This objective aligns with SDG 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities,” particularly its goal of strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural heritage. Promoting cultural diversity through AI can contribute to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

The “Algorithmic Justice” project represents a significant opportunity to advance the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), directly addressing critical social problems in Ecuador, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This effort focuses on the development and adoption of innovative, AI-based public policy solutions designed to directly tackle social challenges. Through strategic collaboration and a firm commitment to the ethics of AI implementation, the project aims to promote socio-technical solutions that comprehensively benefit society, with a particular emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable groups. Essentially, this project seeks to be a catalyst for technological progress that not only advances AI capabilities but also fosters social justice, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that the benefits of AI extend throughout society and contribute to solving fundamental social problems.

CONTEST RULES

Profile of the applicants

The recipients of the Call for Proposals are:

Ecuadorian citizens, and citizens of Latin American and Caribbean countries, especially those linked to vulnerable groups.
Academic professionals working on AI topics.
University students addressing the topic of AI.
Civil society actors working on AI issues.
Politicians and public decision-makers in the field of AI.
Artists and creative authors.

At least one applicant must be a researcher with accredited ties to one of the CLACSO network's Member Centers. The information provided on the application form is considered a sworn statement. If the project is selected, a letter of support signed by the highest authority of the member center with which the proposal is linked must be submitted.
Priority will be given to applications that include the presence of researchers with work in and/or about Ecuador.
Applications can be individual or collective (teams of a maximum of 3 members).
Team composition must respect gender parity and each team must select one member as the project registration manager. Teams must consist of established researchers—those with a master's degree, doctorate, or equivalent qualification and a proven academic track record—and researchers in training—those currently pursuing a master's or doctoral degree or holding an undergraduate degree. Teams are expected to be intergenerational, integrating researchers with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
On the other hand, teams may include activists or leaders from social movements and public policy decision-makers. While this is not a requirement, it will be positively considered in the evaluation of applications.
Likewise, proposals may be made up of people from different countries, promoting exchange and regional dialogue as a practice of intervention in the issues focused on in this Call.
Each researcher may only participate with one proposal in this Call.
If the project is awarded and any travel is necessary, the winners will have to cover the costs of medical insurance or similar expenses themselves.
The member centers to which the applicants are linked must not have any outstanding debts in the payment of membership fees corresponding to the year 2023.
Members of the Steering Committee or officials of the CLACSO Executive Secretariat may not participate.
Proposals from researchers who are currently recipients of fellowships or grants under other research calls, scholarships, or essays organized by CLACSO will not be accepted. Applications from researchers who have been selected in a CLACSO research call will be accepted, provided that the recipient has fulfilled all obligations in a timely manner.

Support to be granted

Up to 5 will be supported policy briefs, prioritizing, in at least 3 of them, the presence of researchers with work in and/or about Ecuador.

The amount of support will consist of U$D 1.400 (one thousand four hundred US dollars or its equivalent in local currency) for each policy brief selected, to be paid upon final delivery.

Once the proposal of policy brief If selected, the author(s) will have a period of 5 (five) months to submit the policy brief

CLACSO and UNESCO will publish the final products in print and/or digital media, giving them wide publicity and dissemination through the means they deem appropriate. If necessary, researchers will be asked to make the adaptations and adjustments required so that the resulting research can be published in various formats.

The authors will transfer the original publication rights of their works, given that CLACSO and UNESCO adhere to and defend the principles of open science and open access to knowledge, ensuring that the resulting work is easy to find, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. Subsequently, the works may be published in any other medium, always citing this Call for Papers. Researchers must inform CLACSO and UNESCO of the subsequent publication of the works resulting from their research.

Characteristics of policy brief proposals and final submissions

The proposed policy brief The submitted work must be original and, if selected, the policy brief The final submission must also be original, and cannot be committed for publication or have won awards in other competitions.

The proposals may be linked to ongoing research processes, but the policy briefs Finals must be original and unpublished products and developed within the period established by the call.

The proposal submitted for selection must be uploaded via the online form, with a maximum of 2000 (two thousand) words. It must include a complete summary and a work plan, taking into account the size and characteristics of the project. policy brief

Those selected will have 5 months (between October 2024 and February 2025) to send the policy brief final publishable version. This plan will be implemented under the guidance of tutors assigned by CLACSO and UNESCO, who will provide expert advice and support to the projects selected to publish their proposals.

Texts written in the four languages commonly used in Latin America and the Caribbean (Spanish, English, Portuguese and French) will be accepted, depending on the country of origin of the proposal.

Selection criteria for proposals

The proposals of policy briefs They will be evaluated according to their innovation, clarity, evidence-based foundation, proof of pre-existing research on the topic by the author of the proposal, feasibility of the recommendations and their alignment with ethical and inclusion principles.
Special consideration will be given to the proposals' ability to offer solutions based on a competent theoretical framework, while also being technologically viable, and thus providing practical and effective solutions to real social problems.
In the first stage, the proposals of policy briefs Submitted proposals will be reviewed for their formal and administrative aspects to verify their compliance with the competition rules. Proposals that do not meet the established requirements will be rejected.
Participants must submit their proposals policy briefs within five months, detailing their approach, analysis, and recommendations. A panel of experts in AI, ethics, public policy, and social work will evaluate the proposals according to established selection criteria, choosing the most outstanding ones for publication and dissemination.
The call for applications may be declared void or a smaller number of applicants may be selected. policy briefs, in case the proposals submitted do not meet the required quality and consistency.
Situations not covered in this document will be resolved by the convening institution.
The ruling will be irrevocable and unappealable.

Registration procedure

It is mandatory that the submission be made through the online registration system provided by CLACSO. Printed submissions and submissions sent by email will not be accepted. It is recommended to access the online system to review the registration form.

Access the CLACSO website orgThe online registration system will be available from April xxx, 2024.
Register in the CLACSO Single Registration System (SUIC). The generated username and password will be required each time you wish to access the system to consult, modify, add, or submit information for this or any other CLACSO activity. Applicants who are part of collective proposals must open a single form This will include all researchers on the team. One of the authors must also be designated as responsible for the registration. This same person will receive the corresponding monetary award if the proposal is selected by the Jury.
Identify the proposal by indicating its title and the pseudonym of the applicant(s). Applications with pseudonyms that correspond to the applicant's first and/or last name will not be accepted. Once the corresponding fields are completed, the system will enable the uploading of the following data.
Applicants must indicate on the form their affiliation with a Member Center belonging to the CLACSO network. Consult the database of member centers at: org.ar/clacso/centros_miembros_clacso/inicio.php.
Complete the form personal and academic data and attach the curriculum vitae in free format; the digital copy of the identity document, passport or ID card; the digital copy of the highest academic degree obtained (or proof of degree in process) and the photograph.
The proposal must be filled out on the form that appears once the personal and academic data has been completed.

Once registration is closed, the system will produce an electronic certificate of receipt that will serve as proof of application.

SIGN UP

Deadline for submitting proposals: September 2, 2024
Winners will be announced in October 2024.
Payment Solution policy briefOctober 2024 to February 2025
presentation policy brief Final: February 28, 2025

The results will be published on the CLACSO website. The winners will be contacted by email.
Queries: [email protected]
Bases and forms in this link.

OPINION – Algorithmic Justice. An Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Latin America and the Caribbean

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a field of computer science focused on developing systems and programs capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as speech recognition, computer vision, decision-making, learning, and problem-solving. While its use can be extremely beneficial, it also raises several issues that must be addressed urgently.

For example, the transformation of work and digital inequality are profound challenges, especially in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, where structural inequalities are already pronounced. AI-driven automation is reshaping the labor market, eliminating jobs in sectors traditionally occupied by less-skilled workers and concentrating opportunities in areas of high technological specialization. This reinforces existing gaps, as access to advanced training and digital resources remains limited for large segments of the population. Moreover, digital inequality is not limited to access to technology, but also extends to the skills to use it meaningfully, perpetuating historical patterns of exclusion based on gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Furthermore, the changes and impacts of AI on privacy and surveillance are worrying. For example, the intensive use of algorithms to collect, analyze, and use personal data raises serious concerns about how individuals' rights are guaranteed in a context where these technologies operate as "black boxes." This can lead to discriminatory practices, such as algorithmic racism or the disproportionate surveillance of certain social groups. Cases such as the misidentification of people in facial recognition systems or the use of algorithms to predict "risks" based on biased data illustrate the dangers of implementing AI without adequate ethical and regulatory controls.

In this context, the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial IntelligenceAdopted in November 2021 by 193 Member States, the AI Framework for the Development of Human Rights stands as the first global ethical framework to address these challenges. Its objectives include ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability in the design and use of AI, with a special focus on preventing the perpetuation of structural inequalities, discriminatory uses based on skin color, gender, age, nationality, and other factors, and protecting vulnerable groups. Furthermore, it underscores the need to regulate algorithmic "black boxes" to ensure that decision-making processes are auditable and understandable, and to promote the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the development of these technologies.

As AI transforms key sectors such as health, education, and security, its development must be aligned with sound ethical principles. This will not only mitigate the risks of discrimination and exclusion but also ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed equitably, contributing to global well-being and a more inclusive society.

Therefore, CLACSO and UNESCO Ecuador launched the call Algorithmic Justice: An Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Latin America and the Caribbean, whose main objective is the production of Policy Briefs that promote synergy between academic research and informed public decision-making, through the development of analyses, policy recommendations, and social intervention actions based on the ethical and responsible use of AI.

They were opened 75 forms and were finally received 35 applications, which after the technical and formal review, were in a position to be qualitatively evaluated by the International Committee to consider the quality, relevance and coherence of the proposals according to the Call.

The evaluation process was carried out by an International Committee composed of 9 experts 4 The committee members were: Marco Benalcázar (Ecuador), Marta Bianchi (Argentina), Carolina Hevia (Ecuador), Silvia Lago Martínez (Argentina), Fernando Laredo (Argentina), Graciela Nathanson (Argentina), Isabel Ramos (Ecuador), Carla Texeira (Brazil), and Stephane Vinolo (France). This committee carried out the first phase of evaluating the submitted projects.

As a second phase, the organizing team, made up of CLACSO and UNESCO, reviewed the proposals taking into account the call's guidelines, the technical quality of the proposals, and the relevance of the topics to be addressed within the framework of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence UNESCO's balance of areas for research development, among other technical and methodological criteria.

After the entire evaluation process, which recognized the excellent quality, relevance, and rigor of most of the applications, five (5) proposals were selected for the development of the policy briefsIn at least 3 of them, the presence of researchers with work in and/or about Ecuador.

The list of selected proposals from the Call for Proposals is as follows:

Authors	Member Center	Country	Title of the proposal
Lisbeth Moya González, José Antonio Figueroa	Institute of Economic Research of the Central University of Ecuador – IIE/UCE	Ecuador	The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the reconstruction of Afro-descendant memory centers in Cuba and Ecuador
Ezequiel Alexander Rivero, Helena Martins do Rêgo Barreto, Angy Floremma Mora Noguera	Center for Advanced Studies – FCS/UNC – Faculty of Social Sciences – National University of Córdoba	Argentina	AI in the Cultural Industries: Protecting work, promoting cultural diversity, and algorithmic justice
Isabel Ponce	International Center for Higher Studies in Communication for Latin America – CIESPAL	Ecuador	Adaptation of Teachers to GenAI in the Ecuadorian Education System through Mixed Methods
Saudia Levoyer, Lila Luchessi, Fernando José Barrio	Latin American Studies Program – PEL/UASB – Simón Bolívar Andean University	Ecuador	Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action: Ethical and Innovative Solutions to Mitigate Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean
Alexandra Gualavisí, Ángel Gutiérrez, María Belén Albornoz	Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Ecuador – FLACSO	Ecuador	Towards an inclusive, transparent and ethical Social Protection Policy based on Artificial Intelligence in Ecuador

This ruling is irrevocable and cannot be appealed.

Buenos Aires and Quito, December 3, 2024

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