BOX 6.2 Case study: UK government’s data ethics and AI guidance landscape

BOX 6.2

Case study: UK government’s data ethics and AI guidance landscape

Data, and the usage of data have become inseparable from public sector work. Noting the importance of regulating the procurement and application of data-driven initiatives, the UK Government and its relevant bodies developed multiple normative guidelines for public servants working within the sector. From ethics frameworks to procurement processes, the guidelines enable public bodies to adopt data-driven systems in a way that works for everyone in society. As well, the guides look to help inform and empower buyers in the public sector, so that they can evaluate suppliers in detail, and procure needed technology for the benefits of citizens. At present, the list of documents include, but are not limited to:

1. Data Ethics Framework 2. A guide to using AI in the public sector 3. AI procurement guidelines 4. UKSA Self-assessment

With these tools in hand, the government will be able to address public-private, data-driven partnerships in a more practical, streamlined manner. The tools also provide an example of topics and frameworks that a city should have clarity around when considering the application and procurement of technology. Ultimately, the implementation of technology should be based on the demands of the city and the needs of its citizens. To this end, practical guidelines that tackle the normative scope of digitization will anchor the implementation process, so as to provide more transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

ACTIVITY 2: GROUND SMART CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES IN HUMAN RIGHTS BY MAXIMISING TRANSPARENCY THROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION.

SDG 17. New Urban Agenda 91, 92, 156.

Core values

 Human rights are critical inputs to public policy and public service provision.

 City services should incorporate human rights principles such as privacy, equal access, freedom of expression and representation in government into locally controlled digital platforms, infrastructures and services.

 Local governments should create open and participatory opportunities for residents to shape the development and use of smart city technology.

What’s at stake?

People are left behind when digital services disregard human rights, which can perpetuate discrimination for marginalised groups.

Background

Digital technologies provide new means to advocate for, defend, and exercise human rights41. Because technology shapes how people access and share information, services, and goods in cities, they have deeply transformed the “public square.” For many cities, digital technologies now permeate services, infrastructure and civic engagement processes. In many cases the use of technology in smart cities has eroded social protections, deepened inequalities and exacerbated existing discrimination, for example through the use of facial recognition or artificial intelligence in automated decision-making. This is especially true for marginalised groups including women, LGBTQIA+ communities, refugees and persons on the move, the elderly, and those who have been left behind. Digital human rights seek to offer human rights protections as they relate to the use and experience of technology, and enable residents to safely live and participate in smart city development42 .

In 2020, the Secretary-General launched two initiatives that responded directly to the evolving digital era: A Call to Action for Human Rights, and a Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. The Digital Cooperation Roadmap identifies key frontiers of digital rights43 for governments including data protection and privacy, digital identity, surveillance technology and online harassment. To protect human rights in a digital environment, national and local governments can consider incorporating human rights principles such as privacy, security and freedom of expression into locally controlled digital platforms, infrastructures and services44. Effective due diligence is required to ensure that technology products, policies, practices and terms of service conform to human rights principles and standards.

Recognising the need for such a human rights framework, some governments are exploring a “digital bill of rights”, similar to a social contract for digital technology. Since 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, requires companies to adapt their data policies to respect the digital rights of EU citizens. Similarly, California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the recent Proposition 24, offer data-based digital rights to California residents.

Aside from working to guarantee digital human rights in smart city technologies, local governments can also create open, participatory and transparent opportunities for residents to shape the development and use of smart city technology. This can include working to democratise the ways in which smart city technologies are funded, prioritised and decided. Cities can also leverage procurement and open standards to foster local innovation and solution-building, or focus budget expenditures on leveraging technology to develop new modes of public participation that help residents more clearly express their needs.