The University of Coimbra (UC) will coordinate a national network to promote the responsible, sustainable use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education, launching on 15 October.
“The DEFIA Portugal Network aims not only to be a discussion forum, but also an action-oriented network, capable of mobilising the knowledge of Portuguese institutions and contributing to the national and international debate on the role of universities in digital transformation and the development of responsible AI oriented towards the public good,” explained UC Vice-Rector Patrícia Pereira da Silva.
She argued that “AI must develop within human-centred limits, with transparency, accountability, independent evaluation, and participation from universities and students.”
“Its future development must serve society as a whole: good governance is not a brake on innovation, it is what allows innovation without losing control over the direction in which we are moving,” she considered.
International collaboration
The DEFIA Portugal Network, which will bring together most of the country's higher education institutions (HEIs), is part of the Digital Education for Impact Alliance (DEFIA), an international alliance co-founded by the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), the University of Coimbra, and Huanghe Science and Technology University.
GeSI CEO Luís Neves stressed that "the launch of the DEFIA Portugal Network represents an important step in achieving the objectives of the international alliance."
"Under the leadership of the University of Coimbra, this initiative demonstrates how cooperation between higher education institutions can transform global commitments into concrete actions at the national level, also constituting a benchmark model for the development of similar networks in other countries and regions," he added.
Improving AI literacy
The network aims to promote the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and improve the AI skills and literacy of students, teachers, researchers, and technical staff.
Other objectives include innovating teaching and learning practices, linking digital transformation and sustainability, and strengthening cooperation among academia, the public sector, businesses, and civil society.
International conference
Following the initial initiative on 15 October, during the international conference “Appropriate Guardrails for AGI: the Crucial Role of Universities,” thematic working groups will be formed, involving participating institutions in defining a joint action plan, from which “collaborative initiatives, recommendations, guidelines, and best practices for the work of HEIs in this area should emerge.”
The international conference will bring together representatives from universities, international organisations, governments, businesses, and civil society to discuss the role of higher education institutions in the responsible development and governance of advanced artificial intelligence systems and, thus, promote “a joint reflection on the ethical, social, and institutional challenges associated with the evolution of these technologies.”
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres (by video), the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Qun Chen (online), and the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin (by video), will deliver speeches.