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Eight major technology companies, including Microsoft and Mastercard, have pledged to develop “more ethical” artificial intelligence (AI) in alignment with UNESCO’s framework of principles.

Eight major technology giants, including Microsoft and Mastercard, promised on Monday at a summit in Slovenia to develop’more ethical’ AI in accordance with UNESCO’s framework of principles.

The agreement comes after UNESCO published its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in 2021, which is based on “the promotion and protection of human rights, human dignity, and ensuring diversity and inclusiveness”.

The remaining six signatories were GSMA, the Lenovo Group, INNIT, LG AI Research, Salesforce, and Telefonica.

According to a statement, the firms pledged to use the values and principles of UNESCO’s 2021 framework “when designing and deploying AI systems”.

The agreement requires the members to “guarantee human rights in the design, development, purchase, sale, and use of AI”.

It also encourages them to conduct due diligence in order to “meet safety standards and identify the adverse effects of AI” with the goal of preventing and mitigating them.

“This alliance of the public and private sectors is critical to building AI for the common good,” UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.

Following the 2021 ethical framework for AI use, “today, we are taking another major step by obtaining the same concrete commitment from global tech companies,” she stated.

The UN agency and the eight technology companies inked the agreement on Monday during the second UNESCO Global Forum on AI in Kranj, Slovenia.

While the EU lacks significant AI businesses, it has recently increased the speed of regulation in response to rapid advancements.