Keynote address on disinformation at the United Nations

At the United Nations Peace Operations International Symposium on “Harnessing technology for digital transformation”, Prof Dr Sahana Udupa delivered a keynote address to UN delegates, outlining the challenges of online disinformation and misogyny. She urged for caution and clarity around adopting latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, highlighting recent EU regulations that have sought to severely restrict AI applications for mass surveillance and behavioural manipulation, while allowing their use in other value enhancing operations including text generators. She also emphasized that problems of extreme speech and disinformation have longer historical roots, which require a holistic community based approach.

Senior UN leadership, delegates from the member states, and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal, the host country, were among the dignitaries present at the symposium. During the symposium, Prof Dr Udupa was also invited for a plenary panel discussion with Ms Barbara Nieuwenhuys (Director, Digital Enablement Team, UN Peace Operations), Col. Muthusi Kimwele (Kenya) and Col. Jagdish Khadka (Nepal) on the need for adopting technologies in peace operations.