UNESCO calls for ethical AI governance and warns of creator income losses

UNESCO hosted the third ministerial summit on artificial intelligence ethics in Santo Domingo, bringing together ministers, policy makers, researchers, private‑sector leaders and civil‑society representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting stressed that AI is already reshaping learning, work and democratic participation, and highlighted the implementation of the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI as a common framework for the region.

In a separate UNESCO report, the agency warned that generative AI could drastically reduce earnings for cultural creators. Analyses forecast losses of up to 24 % for musicians and 21 % for audiovisual creators by 2028, amounting to more than €22 billion annually, with 79 % of cultural professionals viewing AI as a direct threat. UNESCO noted that only 148 regulatory instruments exist worldwide and urged governments to strengthen collective‑rights management, digital literacy and policies that place culture at the centre of AI development.

Together, the summit and the report underline UNESCO’s push for people‑centred AI governance and the need for stronger international regulation to protect creators’ livelihoods.