During his participation in the 148th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, representing the Bahraini parliamentary delegation, Dr. Mahdi Al-Shuwaikh emphasized the urgent need to suspend the sale and deployment of dangerous artificial intelligence systems that pose a significant threat to human rights. He also stressed the importance of working to ensure the protection of human rights by adopting sufficient legal measures before resuming the use of these systems. Al-Shuwaikh also called for addressing the clear shortcomings in accountability related to data collection, storage, sharing, and usage, considering this issue as a delicate matter that requires meticulous attention, given the rapid and increasing expansion in the field of smart technology.
Dr. Al-Shuwaikh highlighted the danger of the discrimination resulting from decisions implemented through artificial intelligence, which can impact, determine, or even harm individuals’ lives. He emphasized the necessity for companies and governments to take steps towards more transparency regarding the development and use of artificial intelligence, as well as ensuring the inclusion of human rights rules within the entire lifecycle of artificial intelligence.
Al-Shuwaikh discussed how the use of fake digital techniques and deception in the media through artificial intelligence programs could play a role in the electoral process, affecting its credibility and thus having a clear impact on the democratic process. He emphasized the need to develop robust legal mechanisms to counter misleading news and monitor them, as well as the necessity to prevent or suspend the use of artificial intelligence systems that do not operate in accordance with international human rights law until appropriate safeguards are put in place.
