International Consultant: Support the development of the AI for Children industry standard, home-based, Beijing, China

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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CN Home-based; Beijing (China)

Application deadline 11 months ago: Wednesday 12 Apr 2023 at 15:55 UTC

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Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, safety

UNICEF recognizes the potential of AI systems for children’s development, but it also acknowledges the potential risks to their privacy and safety. In November 2021, UNICEF, with the support of the Government of Finland, launched the Policy Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Children (referred to as ‘the Guidance’ below) to “aid the protection and empowerment of children in interactions with AI systems and enable access to its benefits in all aspects of life”. Given the evolving nature of AI applications, the pace of innovation and adaptation, and the changing needs and interests of children, the Guidance suggests a cyclical process to operationalize it. After understanding the impact of AI on children bearing in mind the national AI landscape, policymakers can customize the recommendations in the Guidance based on national/local inputs and develop policies and strategies for application of the Guidance.

In 2021-2022, China Federation of Internet Societies (CFIS) and UNICEF China jointly identified and documented case studies of AI along the lines of the principles of the Guidance to contribute to this new expanding agenda with a child rights lens. Building on findings generated from this effort, CFIS is planning to draft an industry standard on AI for Children taking into account child-centred AI requirements in the development of AI applications.

UNICEF China Country Office (CCO) is working closely with CFIS to promote integrating principles of the Guidance and international child online protection norms and standards into the draft industry standard to support the design and development of AI applications for children.

How can you make a difference?

The international consultant is expected to provide technical guidance to the development of the industry standard on AI for Children, based on evidence and good practices.

Major Tasks, Deliverables & Timeframe:

Task 1: Join 1 roundtable discussion on raising internet companies’ and AI developers’ awareness of safe, responsible, and ethical AI design for children, specifically of children’s rights to protection against all forms of technology facilitated exploitation and abuse. Deliverable(s): 1 PowerPoint presentation (including PPT and explicatory notes). Duration: 5 working days.

Task 2: Join 2 roundtable discussions on the development of the AI for Children industry standard to share international good practices and norms and standards upholding children’s collective rights to protection and participation. Deliverable(s): 2 PowerPoint presentations (including PPTs and explicatory notes). Duration: 10 working days (5 days each presentation).

Task 3: Carry out 2 rounds of review of and provide technical inputs to the draft standard to ensure it is along the lines of international norms and standards on child-centred AI and UNICEF’s child protection policies and principles. Deliverable(s): Comments and revision of 2 versions of the draft AI for Children industry standard. Duration: 10 working days (5 days each version).

Task 4: Give a PowerPoint presentation on AI and child protection considering the evolving nature of AI applications as needed. Deliverable(s): 1 PowerPoint presentation (including PPT and explicatory notes). Duration: 5 working days.

Total: 30 working days.

The consultant is expected to join conference calls with UNICEF China to discuss relevant issues a minimum of 5 hours per month (on average).

Each candidate needs to upload a financial proposal including rates per product or other costs they may need to cover.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • Master’s degree in law, internet governance, cyber policy and security or another relevant social science field.
  • At least 10 years of extensive experience working on AI ethics, safety and security, internet governance, and technology.
  • Track record of publications on AI and related issue. An additional asset if related to child rights.
  • Familiarity with challenges faced by governments and private sector in the areas of children’s AI literacy and digital safety.
  • Knowledge of AI policy and technology society in China would be an asset.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

UNICEF is committed to the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) and Child Safeguarding (CS), as well as to the highest standards of conduct. The selected candidate will be asked to take on-line courses (a total of 3-4 hours) in order to sign the contract.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Added 11 months ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unicef.org