Publication

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

22 May 2026

The rapid rise in artificial intelligence (AI) has created many opportunities globally, from facilitating healthcare diagnoses to enabling human connections through social media and creating labour efficiencies through automated tasks.

However, these rapid changes also raise profound ethical concerns. These arise from the potential AI systems have to embed biases, contribute to climate degradation, threaten human rights and more. Such risks associated with AI have already begun to compound on top of existing inequalities, resulting in further harm to already marginalised groups. (Source: UNESCO)

Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

UNESCO produced the first-ever global standard on AI ethics – the ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ in November 2021. It is applicable to all 194 member states of UNESCO.

The protection of human rights and dignity is the cornerstone of the Recommendation, based on the advancement of fundamental principles such as transparency and fairness, always remembering the importance of human oversight of AI systems.

However, what makes the Recommendation exceptionally applicable are its extensive Policy Action Areas, which allow policymakers to translate the core values and principles into action with respect to data governance, environment and ecosystems, gender, education and research, and health and social wellbeing, among many other spheres. (Source: UNESCO)

You can download the UNESCO recommendation below this article.

Implementing the Recommendation

UNESCO develop two practical methodologies:

Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM)

RAM is designed to help assess whether Member States are prepared to effectively implement the Recommendation. The RAM may address questions such as:

Are laws in place to regulate AI?
Does the national infrastructure support the accessibility of AI technologies?

This methodology will help Member States identify their status of preparedness and provide a basis for UNESCO to custom-tailor its capacity-building support. It may also be used to help Member States develop a roadmap towards ethical development and use of AI.

Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA)

EIA is a structured process which operationalises the Recommendation by helping AI project teams, in collaboration with the affected communities, to identify and assess the impacts an AI system may have. The EIA may address questions such as:

Who is most likely to be adversely affected by this AI system?
What form will these impacts take?
What can be done to prevent these harms and have resources been allocated to this harm prevention?

EIA provides an opportunity to reflect on the potential impacts of an AI project and to identify the needed harm prevention actions. (Source: UNESDOC/UNESCO)

UNESCO is working with governments, the private sector, academic institutions, and civil society organizations to translate the Recommendation into policies and actions. The multidimensional implementation strategy includes such elements as:

Global Observatory on the Ethics of AI, an innovative digital platform serving as a one-stop-shop for the latest analysis on the ethical development and use of AI around the world, and for the knowledge generated through the implementation of the Recommendation in different countries.
Global Forum on Ethics of AI, a high-level annual event to advance the state-of-the-art knowledge of the challenges raised by AI technologies and to facilitate peer-to-peer learning among governments and other stakeholders.
AI Ethics Experts Without Borders (AIEB) network, a flexible facility of experts for deployment in Member States on needs basis to assist in the implementation of the Recommendation and the application of the capacity-building tools.
Women for AI Ethics (W4AIEthics) network, a platform for influential women leaders in industry, government, and civil society, driving trans- formations towards gender equality in and through AI. (Source: UNESDOC/UNESCO)