Vanderbilt, free speech center to host symposium on AI and human rights
Nashville-based international First Amendment education group The Future of Free Speech Project and Vanderbilt University will be hosting a symposium this week to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence, free speech and human rights.
As AI systems have become a part of everyday technology at a startling rate, concerns regarding the possible effects on free speech in the online and real world have driven experts to convene to discuss the threats and benefits of the systems.
The event, which will run Thursday and Friday and is free to the public, will feature numerous leaders in the fields of technology, human rights advocacy, public policy and First Amendment rights.
“We've had a lot of discussions in the past 10 to 15 years about the consequences for free speech from technological developments, especially with social media and so on,” said Jacob Mchangama, the leader of The Future of Free Speech project and the founder of Justitia, a Denmark-based think tank for justice and human rights. “But I think the complexities of those discussions are dwarfed by the potential of generative AI. And I think everyone is still sort of scratching their heads and trying to make sense of it because the technological developments happen so rapidly, and because generative AI really challenges some basic concepts that we've developed over time.”
The steady rise in the strength of online moderation via AI technology has created a number of free speech concerns that need to be discussed, said Mchangama.
“Where do you even start?” he said, going on to detail issues regarding Section 230 — a law that protects freedom of expression online — government interference, cultural homogeny and more.
“(Section 230) has granted social media platforms and others immunity from most user-generated content,” he said. “But does Section 230 apply to generative AI?... Then of course, there's the question of government interference. You could use AI for all kinds of purposes — including spreading disinformation and hate speech, etc. And governments around the world will definitely try to impose their limits on AI systems, and then AI systems would argue they don't have rights. Additionally, how do we ensure that smaller languages are also represented, so that it doesn't just become the main languages that dominate AI systems and come to represent the underlying cultural norms and biases of current cultures? There’s just so many questions.”
The event will include speakers like Professor of Physics at MIT Max Tegmark; Alexandria Walden, Google policy lead for global human rights and free expression; Julie Owono, executive director of Internet Without Borders; Kim Malfacini, Open AI product and policy analyst and many more.
“I hope this conversation will make it more clear what exactly might be the impact of generative AI on the ecosystem of information and opinion, and then consequently how this will impact our understanding of what free speech and access to information should mean in a world where generative AI will only become more and more prevalent, accessible and powerful,” Mchangama said. “I hope it will inspire people to work on various types of ideas, products and policies that will rely on the benefits of free speech and access to information.”
The Future of Free Speech project, an international nonpartisan free speech organization, opened its U.S.-based office at Vanderbilt University in April 2023.
Registration can be found here.
The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt, free speech center to host symposium on AI, human rights
