The Quest for AI Sovereignty, Transparency and Accountability

The Coalition on Data and Artificial Intelligence Governance (DAIG) is a multistakeholder group that was established under the auspices of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UN IGF). The idea of the establishment of such a unique group emerged as an outcome of the Data Governance School LatAm 2023, organized by the Center for Technology and Society at FGV Law School, Rio de Janeiro. The DAIG Coalition aims to foster analyses of existing approaches to data and artificial intelligence governance, promoting the debate of shared problems and potential aimed at achieving sustainable and effective models of data and artificial intelligence governance. For that purpose, the group promotes collective studies and multistakeholder interactions to collect and discuss evidence, critically analyse existing regulatory and institutional arrangements, and propose policy updates in artificial intelligence. The DAIG was created to act as a hub to connect global UN IGF discussions with regional and local initiatives, with a specific focus on Global South debates. Hence, it invited researchers and practitioners to submit papers about artificial intelligence transparency and accountability. These papers formed the first Annual Report of the UN DAIG Coalition, which has the intention of providing reflections on artificial intelligence transparency and accountability and exploring the new concept of artificial intelligence sovereignty. This work brings much-needed thematic analyses from several countries and regions (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, the Global South, Europe, etc.) offering diverse perspectives on critical AI issues. This Outcome Report teaches us the importance of initiatives such as the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) as a milestone in artificial intelligence governance and, at the same time, raises concerns about the limited application of accountability requirements and the potential for vested interests to influence evaluations. This report shows us the intricate relationship between trade secrecy, intellectual property, and data subject’s rights, how transparency must operate between them and how their special relationship challenges the authorities. It exposes the importance of cooperation and how international efforts can effectively promote transparency and accountability. Importantly, this report analyses how a globally harmonized, transparent, accountable artificial intelligence landscape is necessary, balancing innovation and responsible governance. It explains how to mitigate risks with the implementation of targeted transparency and accountability. It investigates the challenges of opaque artificial intelligence systems, the importance of transparency and accountability for the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems and how technical tools can help to create systems that are comprehensible, ethical, and accountable.