AI already impacts many of our fundamental human rights in both positive and negative ways. Among other instances, the use of AI to moderate websites can be used to remove inflammatory content, but it may also block some legitimate expression, violating the right to freedom of expression. Privacy is often infringed when AI involves opaque data collection, de-anonymization, third-party data-sharing, and the tracking and profiling of individuals. Simultaneously, however, AI could also help monitor violations of personal privacy. AI could even affect the right to equality, as algorithmic decision-making has been shown to discriminate on racial and other lines.

UNESCO advocates open access in order to strengthen universal access to information and bridge information inequalities. There are a number of challenges to openness in AI. Some machine learning algorithms have high levels of complexity and multi-dimensionality that makes their inner working unintelligible to humans and firms may be tempted to make their algorithms secret so as to limit competition. Simultaneously, openness is necessary for the ethical development of AI. Publicly-available datasets for training machine learning algorithms are necessary to reduce entry barriers to AI, and open markets are essential for fostering innovation .

Access to data and algorithms is a major determinant of AI ecosystem development. This influences the purpose of AI, the producers of AI, and who benefits or is harmed by AI. Exacerbating existing digital disparities, there is now the growth of AI divides within and between countries, including differences in access to research, education and human resources, data and hardware. These inhibit AI's potential to bring about a diversity of benefits which may contribute to sustainable development. Conversely, AI can be used and is being used to increase access opportunities for disabled persons, as well as advance multilingualism and boost documentary preservation.

All stakeholders – governments, companies, technical community, IGOs, civil society and academia – are increasingly impacted by AI. They therefore have a strong interest in the evolution of norms, policies, codes, etc. that play a part in governing this technology. Due to the complexity of and uncertainty in the field of AI, decision-making is an uncharted territory. Decisions should, however, not be “made in ignorance”, and an open and inclusive multi-stakeholder approach can help pool wisdoms and promote shared norms and ethics. Effective multistakeholder proccesses should be inclusive, diverse, transparent, equal, safe and private, and accountable.