UN Report Shows Why Real-Time Encryption Matters for Ethical AI

The United Nations recently released its Governing AI for Humanity report, outlining its vision for responsible, fair, and globally beneficial AI governance. The report underscores the need for AI that respects human rights, ethical standards, and international law, protecting vulnerable groups and ensuring that AI development benefits all of humanity. It advocates for a global, inclusive approach to AI governance to prevent power concentration, bridge digital divides, and incorporate diverse perspectives, especially from underrepresented regions.

Data Privacy in AI

One of the primary areas of interest in the report is that of governance with regard to privacy and data security. This includes a call for an international framework for AI training data that promotes privacy and interoperability across jurisdictions, supporting transparency, accountability and set standards for data ownership and use.

The report warns against potential exploitation of data in competitive markets and advocates for a “race to the top” in which governments, corporations, and public trusts collaborate to empower AI through ethical data usage. It encourages international standards to prevent a decline in privacy protections across regions due to competitive pressures.

Perhaps most importantly, the report recommends adopting privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) to enable secure data processing without compromising individual privacy.  In so doing, the UN recognizes how critical it is to enable secure, encrypted data processing to prevent misuse and build public trust in AI systems, enabling them grow responsibly and securely, thereby providing even greater benefit.

FHE Unlocks AI’s Potential

A dedicated privacy processor using Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), such as Chain Reaction’s 3PU™, could significantly enhance trust in AI systems. By enabling the analysis of encrypted data without decryption, it ensures sensitive information remains secure throughout processing. This prevents data misuse by eliminating exposure of plain text data during analysis. This layer of protection is valuable for all private data, and especially for vulnerable groups who are at a higher risk of data exploitation.

With FHE-based processing, governments, organizations, companies and more can unlock AI’s full potential while  maintaining individuals’ control over their personal information, aligning with the report’s emphasis on privacy-preserving AI governance. This technology would make it possible to utilize AI for social good without compromising privacy, accelerating the UN’s race to the top and achieving the goal of responsible, ethical, and globally beneficial AI.