Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1493799
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 MARCH 2023 4 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S IT Law Association (MITLA) released a white paper highlighting the need for bet- ter policy-orientation around emerging technologies. The paper, which summarises a discussion held before MITLA's AGM, calls for urgent action to address issues such as misinfor- mation, education, and legal re- sponsibilities. Experts from Malta's informa- tion technology and legal fields have called for nationwide poli- cy and regulation of the coming dominance of AI technologies, in a bid to equip the island's job market for sweeing changes. They said that unless the ed- ucation system trains people to adapt to the new AI technologies, whose effects will displace jobs, they will be left out of the job market of the future. "OpenAI's ChatGPT has intro- duced AI to the masses and can be very useful as a tool to assist people in written tasks. While there are dangers associated with AI even in terms of job displace- ment, there is also a reality that AI developments will create new jobs that today cannot even be imagined. ChatGPT could also make up for certain skills short- ages and make people and organ- isations to produce higher quality work faster and at lower costs," MITLA said in its white paper. The panellists who contributed to this discussion were Antonio Ghio, Gege Gatt, Daniel Vel- la, Kenneth Terribile and Deo Falzon. However MITLA warns that although OpenAI began as a non-profit organisation, it is now a for-profit entity, "creating con- cerns that the company may ig- nore wider ethical implications in a race for profits". MITLA's recommendations in- clude the regulation of emerging technologies to minimise bias- es inherent in the datasets that feed them, as well as to prevent the abuse of machine learning to the point that tools like ChatGPT can be sabotaged or manipulated to give false, inaccurate or dan- gerous information. MITLA also said there was a need to analyse the education system to ensure that students are being equipped with the nec- essary tools to adapt to emerging technologies. "Unless education is focused on training people to adapt to new skills and technolo- gies, they will be left out of the job market of the future," they said. The lawyers and IT experts said there was a need for educators to be assisted to adapt to tech- nologies like ChatGPT which may radically change the way homework and exams must be deployed. And they also said legal chang- es would be needed to map out the responsibilities and liabilities of AI companies, to ensure that they are either held accountable for the repercussions of mislead- ing information or that they give adequate warning to users. "MITLA urges stakeholders to work together to ensure that emerging technologies are devel- oped with ethical considerations in mind, and that the benefits they bring are balanced against the potential risks. "MITLA believes that by taking proactive measures to address these issues, we can help to en- sure that AI technologies such as ChatGPT can be deployed in a way that serves the public good, while protecting individuals, in- stitutions and society at large," the association said. Malta experts: AI will cost jobs, but create new ones and reduce business costs Public consultation on biodiversity strategy launched by environment watchdog KARL AZZOPARDI THE Environment and Resource Au- thority has launched a public consulta- tion on a proposed National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2030. The plan is driven by the long-term vi- sion established in the National Strategy for the Environment, "to have Malta's biodiversity valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used for the benefit of na- ture, people and climate, by 2050." "The Action Plan will step up nation- al efforts to put Malta's biodiversity on a path to recovery for the benefit of the planet and people," ERA said. The Strategy and Action Plan will guide the development of specific policies and actions in relation to biodiversity man- agement at national level, by establishing a strategic framework to enable Malta to achieve the 2050 environmental objec- tives in a staggered approach. The Action Plan identifies five policy ar- eas where action is necessary: conserving and restoring nature, tackling the drivers of biodiversity loss, using biodiversity sustainably, mainstreaming and aware- ness-raising, and enhancing implementa- tion and cooperation. ERA will also be reaching out to stake- holders to discuss the proposals put for- ward. More information is available on ERA's website. Environment and Resource Authority launches public consultation on proposed National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2030 Maltese wall lizard