Statement by Anne-Marie Buzatu, ICT4Peace Executive Director to the OEWG Informal Stakeholder Consultations, 6 December 2023

And third, the imperative of consistently expanding the knowledge base of law and policymakers, as well as of other stakeholders, through Capacity and Confidence Building Measures to enable informed decisions and effective regulation in the realm of ICTs, with a special emphasis on AI. [...] However, we would like to note that the threat of misinformation, previously acknowledged in the Zero Drafts of the 2nd APR, was substituted with a narrower focus on State-led "information campaigns" in the adopted APR. [...] This overall minimizes the extremely important threat of mis and disinformation in a multitude of areas, from national elections to armed conflict, which we have seen extensively in the Ukraine conflict, and now more recently in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. [...] In light of the complexities and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, a significant concern arises from the current lack of understanding and expertise among many lawmakers and policymakers in this domain. [...] As underscored by recent discussions and reports, including an article in the New York Times on December 6, 2023, there is a growing gap between the pace of AI development and the evolution of regulatory frameworks.