AI for Peace

“In a world where the integration of AI is advancing rapidly, AI for Peace provides a timely and insightful exploration of the untapped potential of AI for promoting peace, countering hate speech, protecting human rights, and addressing climate change. Paige and Branka underscore the imperative of developing AI responsibly, highlighting the ethical considerations and challenges that must accompany this challenging, interdisciplinary, but fascinating journey. As AI evolves, so must our awareness and commitment to harnessing it for the greater good. This book serves as a compelling call to action for individuals, data scientists, policymakers, and communities alike to embrace AI's positive role in creating a more peaceful world. I urge all readers to delve into its pages and reflect on the profound implications AI holds for the future of peace.” -Dr. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga Ph.D. LL.M M.A. Associate Professor and Director of Research at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University (NL). “AI for Peace provides a nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence and global peace, making a compelling case for the responsible use of AI in conflict prediction, human rights, and climate action. Its rigorous analysis not only identifies the pitfalls and ethical considerations but also offers a roadmap for leveraging AI as a tool for sustaining peace and promoting social good.” - Dr. Roman V. Yampolskiy, Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Louisville “Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of our politics, economics, and social affairs. Much like nuclear technologies during the post-Second World War era, AI emergence has the potential to generate monumental benefits and catastrophic harms. Predictably, concerns are growing over the misuse and weaponization of generative and general AI - from the spread of disinformation and deepfakes to the deployment of drone swarms and chimeric viruses. Yet considerably less attention is devoted to the burgeoning field of “peace tech” and the ways in which machine learning, natural language processing, and spatial processing can prevent armed conflict and build more resilient societies. Paige Arthur and Branka Panic’s timely, compact, and highly readable volume - AI for Peace - fills this knowledge gap. Arthur and Branka have produced a fascinating overview that expertly navigates the intersections of data science, technology and peacebuilding. At the center of AI for Peace is an appeal for ethical AI governance. AI frameworks should ensure that technologies are designed and deployed to maximize fairness, inclusivity, transparency, security, privacy, accountability, as well as “peacefulness”. The authors also recommend that humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding organizations adopt an “ethics in crisis” approach that enables rapid and responsible AI deployment to mitigate harms and save lives. AI for Peace not only builds the theoretical scaffolding for an innovative new discipline, it also offers a powerful roadmap to guide peacebuilding practice on the front lines. Arthur and Panic show that while AI can amplify hate speech, subvert privacy, and fight wars, it can also improve conflict forecasting, monitor ceasefires, counter disinformation, and wage peace.” -Robert Muggah, Founder of SecDev Group and Igarapé Institute