Effective, Transparent, and Fair AI: Applying Open Data Charter’s Principles to AI Governance
Read about the commitment “Using the Open Data Charter's principles to promote transparent, effective, and fair AI” here.
As AI technology rapidly evolves and becomes more widely used, ensuring that open data and transparent data governance are used in AI systems is crucial. Open Data Charter (ODC) is tackling this challenge through their commitment “Using the Open Data Charter's principles to promote transparent, effective, and fair AI.”
To follow these principles and ensure that data are 1) Open by default; 2) Timely and comprehensive; 3) Accessible and usable; 4) Comparable and interoperable; 5) For improved governance and citizen engagement; 6) For inclusive development and innovation, ODC has been actively researching responsible AI governance, participating in global fora, and promoting open data throughout all sectors.
Advancing the ODC Principles Through Research
ODC has been promoting its principles through their publications and research on AI and Open Data. Some examples include:
- “Data Frameworks for Responsible AI: Legal Perspectives from Six Jurisdictions” examines progress and gaps in AI governance and data regulation. This report uses case studies of Chile, Mexico, Kenya, Mauritius, the Philippines, and Taiwan to demonstrate diverse approaches of the connections between AI and data frameworks.
- “An anthology of AI and Open Data resources" is an excellent resource created by ODC that covers a wide range of publications on AI and open data. Key points are highlighted in a digestible format, ensuring that this information is easy to access.
“Data and AI Development in the Global South: Ethical Practices, Regulations, and Challenges in India, Sri Lanka, and Latin America” was inspired by the “Data and AI in development challenges” event at RightsCon 2025. The discussion from the event was continued in this publication, where the panelists share the key takeaways from their work and the advocacy that must be done to ensure the implementation of ethical AI practices in the Global South.
Promoting Ethical AI and Open Data through Global Conversations
Additionally, ODC has been active in numerous international conferences and events, promoting their work and the importance of ethical AI and Open Data frameworks. Some of these events include:
- 2-3 June 2025: At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Executive Director Natalia Carfi participated in a closed session on AI, discussing data governance, ethical data use, and AI regulations.
- 23 May 2025: ODC’s “Digital Public Infrastructure: the role of Open Data and AI in a Public Digital Transformation” event featured discussion on how open data and AI can be used as public goods.
- 6 May 2025: Executive Director Natalia Carfi spoke at the “Beyond Profit: Public Interest Technologies for Democratic Digital Futures” event at the Global Solutions Summit 2025, highlighting the ways that digital and AI tools can be used for public good.
- 22 April 2025: April’s Implementation Working Group (IWG) meeting “Building capacity in AI, Privacy and Governance Training" featured speakers from Kenya, Brazil, Azerbaijan, and Mexico discussing their different experiences and work on AI governance in their respective countries.
- 26 February 2025: At RightsCon 25 in Taipei, ODC Executice Director Natalia Carfi moderated the “Data and AI in development challenges” event. Panelists Merl Chandana (LIRNE Asia), Vinay Narayan (AAPTI Institute), and Gaston Wright (Civic Compass) discussed ethical AI projects in Sri Lanka, India, and Latin America.
Looking forward
As ODC continues its global work advancing open data practices and AI governance that characterizes its principles, keep an eye on their website and YouTube channel for all their research and IWG meetings. You can sign up to become an IWG member here and participate in their monthly conversations.