Åpningsinnlegg

Chair, Distinguished members of the Expert Mechanism, colleagues and fellow Indigenous Peoples,

I would like to thank the Expert Mechanism for the invitation to contribute to this important and highly relevant panel.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our society, beyond what we can imagine. For Indigenous Peoples, this brings both significant opportunities and serious risks.

For instance. In areas where human resources with language expertise are limited. AI can serve as a vital tool to ensure our languages remain accessible.

AI can also strengthen public services, healthcare, education, and access to justice. And it can offer vital opportunities for development within traditional livelihoods, cultural heritage, and traditions.

Today, however, Indigenous Peoples remain largely underrepresented in national, regional and international processes shaping AI regulations, standards, and ethical frameworks.

Indigenous Peoples must take a leading role in discussions on AI at all levels, including within the UN. With a human rights-based approach. Grounded firmly in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Particularly the rights to self-determination, participation, and free, prior and informed consent.

And I warmly welcome the Expert Mechanism’s timely focus on this issue.

Chair,

In Norway, the government has launched a national AI initiative. For the Sámi Parliament, it is crucial to ensure that we are included in these national efforts. So, that new language models reflect our reality and benefit our communities.

We also see an important role for strengthened collaboration with reginal processes, for instance within the European Union and its institutions, to ensure that emerging frameworks do not become restrictive barriers. But instead incorporate safeguards for Indigenous rights and self-determination.

In Sápmi we have the Sámi AI Lab. At the Sámi University of Applied Sciences. They have already developed vital tools for the Sámi community, despite limited funding. Capacity building and support of Indigenous Peoples-led centers of expertise and institutions is highly important. To ensure our meaningful participation and capacity on these matters.

We also need to strengthen cooperation among Indigenous Peoples on AI. We must build alliances and networks between Indigenous experts and institutions. To exchange best practices, address shared challenges, and co-develop AI systems.

With adequate resource and clear mandates, these institutions can drive technological development on our own terms and in accordance with our priorities. They serve to steward and quality-assure AI systems being deployed. Preventing misrepresentation, algorithmic bias, and further marginalization.

As AI systems increasingly depend on large-scale data collection. And many AI models are trained on data collected from open sources. Indigenous Peoples must have real influence over how data relating to our languages, culture, people, society, and knowledge systems are collected, governed, and used. Data sovereignty and Indigenous data governance is a natural extension of the right to self-determination.

Also, algorithmic bias within AI systems may produce stereotypical or harmful representations in AI-generated outputs. If AI models are not trained on accurate or representative data, they fail to understand our realities. In critical sectors like healthcare, this can result in unreliable tools that provide wrong health assessments.

The concentration of technological power within a few global corporate actors also raises critical questions about whose values and priorities are embedded in these AI systems.

Just as we have ethical standards and corporate responsibility frameworks in other major industries. We strongly suggest that something similar should be expected from the tech industry.

Furthermore, we must not only ask what AI can do, but what it should do. AI is resource-intensive and requires vast amounts of energy. In Sápmi, we already see how large data centers put immense pressure on our territories. And mining activities related to the development of these data centers threaten Indigenous peoples' lands. This comes on top of other extractive activities. This forces a conversation about priorities and limits. And we need to be at the table on these discussions.

Chair,

Respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples must apply across the entire lifecycle of AI systems. This includes the fundamental principle of free, prior and informed consent. We must ensure Indigenous Peoples' participation in decision-making. The governance of Indigenous data and knowledge. And promote forms of technological development that strengthen our communities.

I would encourage EMRIP to consider studies and recommendations on the implementation of UNDRIP in the age of AI. Ensuring that AI becomes a tool for empowerment, not further marginalization. And so that we are at the forefront of this development.

Chair, I look forward to hear other inputs in this agenda today. Giitu!

Avsluttende bemerkninger

Thank you Chair,

I would like to thank my fellow panelists and those taking the floor in this important discussion.

Today’s interventions have clearly highlighted both the profound opportunities and the serious risks that artificial intelligence presents for Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples must be meaningfully involved in all stages of AI development and governance. Our rights must be fully respected across the entire lifecycle of AI. This requires that free, prior and informed consent be upheld not only in relation to land and natural resources, but also in relation to Indigenous Peoples data, languages, knowledge systems and within technological development.

Indigenous Peoples must be meaningfully included in the development, governance, and regulation of AI. We cannot remain on the margins while decisions are made that directly affect our peoples and societies. Our perspectives, knowledge systems, and priorities must be reflected in both national and international frameworks. As stated before, Nothing about us, without us.

I also share the concerns expressed regarding the impact this development has on Indigenous Peoples land, water and natural resources. And how this effects Indigenous Peoples communities and our well-being. We must ensure that AI development does not come at the cost of Indigenous Peoples' rights.

We must ensure that AI becomes a tool for empowerment—not a source of further marginalization or digital colonization. This means actively developing policies and strategies that enable Indigenous Peoples to benefit from technological innovation, while safeguarding our rights, knowledge, cultures, and ways of life.

It is important to acknowledge that AI holds significant potential for Indigenous Peoples. However, these benefits can only be realized if Indigenous Peoples are included as equal partners in shaping and governing these technologies.

This requires structural and sustainable support for Indigenous Peoples-led institutions and experts, - including both technical developers, and our language and knowledge holders. And capacity budling within Indigenous Peoples communities.

From the Sámi perspective, we stand ready to contribute to this work—through international cooperation - within the UN, through our institutions, and through partnerships with other Indigenous Peoples.

The path forward must be rooted in human rights, guided by the UNDRIP, and shaped through genuine partnership.

Thank you.