Bangladesh has taken a major leap in its quest to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into key sectors of its economy with the release of a readiness assessment report.
In an official disclosure, Bangladesh marks the first comprehensive attempt to roll out a blueprint for AI adoption. The readiness assessment report, a collaboration among the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and Bangladesh, provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s preparedness for AI.
The report noted that Bangladesh has strong foundations in e-government, with a majority of citizens demonstrating trust in government digital services. Building on the foundation and public trust, the report predicts that government initiatives designed to trigger AI growth will succeed.
However, it warns of several areas of concern in Bangladesh’s attempt to introduce AI, including an urban-rural digital divide, sparse high-end computing capacity, uneven data connectivity, and intermittent power supply.
The report emphasized the importance of stricter data protection rules and the need to deepen the local talent pool to support the transition to emerging technologies. Going forward, the report highlighted the need for sector players to develop high-quality datasets in their native languages and other minority languages, while also reducing gender discrimination in AI adoption.
“This report gives us a picture of where we stand and what we must prioritize so that AI strengthens public institutions, not replaces human judgment, and protects citizens instead of exploiting them,” said a government official.
The readiness assessment aligns with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, with several key stakeholders participating in the development. Last year, UNESCO signaled its intention to assist Bangladesh in developing ethical AI, making a case for a cautious approach to regulation.
“Whether AI narrows or widens gaps will depend on the choices countries make now,” said Stefan Liller, Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh. “Strengthening connectivity, skills, data, and compute infrastructure, building trustworthy regulatory and governance frameworks, and tailoring AI strategies to national capacity will all play a decisive role.”
Inching toward digitization in a steady fashion
Bangladesh has enacted data protection laws as a key step in its quest to enhance the privacy and digital security of its citizens, thereby priming the ecosystem for wholesale digitization. Previously, the country spent over $208 million to train graduates in blockchain and other emerging technologies.
Meanwhile, UNESCO is leading the way in assisting countries with their AI blueprints. The organization has since launched an open consultation on global AI governance, following successes in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
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Startup boom targets AI deepfakes
In other news, a report has highlighted the rise of deepfake detection startups and an investment frenzy in social media.
Doppel is the latest in the pool of deepfake detection startups to receive a capital injection, raising $70 million in Series C funding. Currently valued at $600 million, Doppel’s growth rate is nothing short of meteoric, underscored by its near-400% growth spurt since the start of 2024.
The latest round comes barely six months after its Series B, with the company pledging to deploy the funds to bolster its capacity amid an “exponential surge in demand.” Led by Bessemer Venture Partners, the funding round drew participation from NTT Docomo Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz (NASDAQ: ZADICX), 9Yards Capital, Script Capital, and Sozo Ventures.
Company CEO Kevin Tian disclosed that the company’s growth is closely tied to the rise of deepfakes, noting that innovation in the space is proceeding at a breakneck speed. Tian added that real-time deepfake intelligent conversations are now possible, posing a significant risk to unsuspecting individuals.
While stopping deepfakes is nearly impossible, Tian noted that the primary aim of Doppel and other deepfake detection firms is to stifle their use in social engineering, fraud, and phishing. Since 2023, the use of deepfakes to perpetrate fraud has skyrocketed, resulting in losses of millions of dollars.
Apart from fraud, critics have raised concerns about the ethical implications of deepfake videos in circulation, particularly the surge in explicit deepfake content. One report noted that “nudify apps” allow individuals to create explicit content with a photograph, violating the inherent rights to human dignity.
While 99% of non-consensual deepfakes target women, the Internet Watch Foundation has documented over 200 web pages of AI-generated child sexual abuse. The Scientific American makes a case for legislation to protect the rights of individuals violated by deepfakes, citing the EU AI Act as a model.
“We should adopt a federal law protecting one’s right to their likeness and voice,” read the editorial. “Doing so would give people legal grounds to demand fast removal of deepfakes and the right to sue for meaningful damages.”
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A frantic race for solutions
Amid the uproar around deepfakes, several experts have pushed for blockchain as a solution to the challenge of synthetic, life-like videos. Several countries are branding deepfakes as a “societal threat,” demanding urgent regulatory action, with several U.S. states passing a patchwork of legislation.
Meanwhile, Big Tech is joining the fight against the misuse of deepfakes, pledging to make AI-generated content identifiable. Meta (NASDAQ: META) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) have since launched watermarking features and indicators for creators to indicate the presence of AI-generated content in their posts.
In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek’s coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI.
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Watch: Demonstrating the potential of blockchain’s fusion with AI
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Source: https://coingeek.com/bangladesh-releases-ai-report-deepfakes-fuel-investment/
