Information as a Public Good in the Age of Datafication and Artificial Intelligence
Outline
To achieve and sustain social progress, citizens need access to accurate information, appropriate skills for interaction, and opportunities for public discourse. Journalism has long served as the “fourth estate” in democratic societies, providing objective reporting and enabling citizen engagement. However, in today’s digital and globalized information ecology, the concept of information as a public good extends beyond traditional journalism. The rise of transnational data and digital communication challenges the safeguarding of public information, affecting both the Global North and South.
Despite these challenges, information as a public good remains crucial for democratic discourse, individual empowerment, scientific research, and informed decision-making across public policy, education, healthcare, and economic development. Recognizing information as a public good ensures equitable participation in society, a principle reinforced by UNESCO’s Windhoek+30 Declaration. This declaration, endorsed by UNESCO’s member states, calls for a reassessment of information as a public good in the globalized digital era.
Challenges to Information as a Public Good :
The digital age introduces several challenges to maintaining information as a public good, including the globalized data infrastructure, datafication processes, individualized public interaction, and new governance approaches.
Technological Advancements:
The rapid development of interactive tools, datafication of civic interactions, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a communicative infrastructure present both opportunities and challenges. These technologies shape the environment for civic interaction, necessitating new strategies to ensure a free, independent, and pluralistic information ecosystem.
Datafication and AI:
The datafication of public interaction—from election processes to deliberation—and the rise of generative AI technologies create challenges in ensuring information remains a public good. AI-driven recommendation and moderation systems, often controlled by digital monopolies, can reinforce personal biases and limit pluralistic perspectives, undermining democratic discourse.
Access and Proprietary Content:
Digital platforms and proprietary content complicate citizens’ access to quality information. This is particularly problematic during elections and crises, where reliable information is critical. The commercialization of data collection also poses significant barriers to accessing relevant information.
Governance and Regulation:
Current governance approaches are often inadequate in addressing the challenges posed by the digital ecosystem. There is an urgent need for a coherent analysis of new regulatory models that align with the concept of information as a public good. This includes addressing the transparency of AI and digital platforms, human rights due diligence, and news media viability.
Areas of Exploration :
Algorithmic Pluralism: Promoting diversity in AI algorithms to ensure multiple perspectives in information mediation.
Inclusive Data Practices: Ensuring comprehensive and equitable data practices to prevent the emergence of “invisibles” groups or issues.
Equitable Access to Data : Balancing the proprietary nature of data with the need for public accessibility to democratize access to information.
Regulatory Parameters: Developing better regulatory processes for governing the digital ecosystem.
Possible Outcomes:
Greater Data Inclusivity: Ensuring all voices are represented in the data landscape, reducing the risk of “invisibles.”
Improved Public Access to AI: Democratizing access to data and AI technologies, enabling digital self-determination and empowering communities.
Human Rights-Based Regulation: Promoting and protecting information as a public good through better regulatory frameworks.
Coordinators
Ingrid Volkmer : Professor of digital communication and globalization, University of Melbourne
Stefaan Verhulst : Co-Founder, The GovLab
Guilherme Canela Godoi : Chief of the section of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists at UNESCO headquarters in Paris