The AI Ethics Brief #193: ACM FAccT Comes to Montreal

2026-01-20 · Source: The AI Ethics Brief · Field: Legal & Regulatory — Compliance & Risk Management, Regulatory Affairs & Government Relations · Depth: Novice, long

Summary

The AI Ethics Brief #193 highlights key discussions in AI ethics, focusing on the upcoming ninth ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) in Montreal from June 25-28. The conference program, aligned with the "Power, Fracture, Resistance" theme of the State of AI Ethics Report (SAIER) Volume 8, emphasizes refusal, participatory methods, and Canadian AI governance. Concurrently, Pope Leo XIV's encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas* warns against outsourcing human morality to machines and concentrating AI power, advocating for AI sovereignty. A recent poll revealed that "Governance and accountability" and "Surveillance and human rights" are perceived as the most immediate pressure points in AI ethics, while "Agentic AI" remains a lesser concern for now. Additionally, a McGill University piece discusses the ethical burden placed on students due to unclear AI guidelines from professors.

Key takeaway

For AI ethicists and policymakers navigating the evolving landscape of AI governance, this brief underscores the critical need to define and distribute authority over AI systems. You should prioritize developing clear guidelines and accountability frameworks that prevent the concentration of AI power and ensure human agency. Consider contributing to initiatives like SAIER Volume 8 to help map and address the challenges of power, fracture, and resistance in AI.

Key insights

The core challenge in AI ethics is determining who holds authority over AI systems and who can refuse their influence.

Principles

• Humans must not outsource moral judgment to machines.
• Concentrating AI power in few hands risks instrumentalizing human labor.
• Unclear AI guidelines shift ethical burdens to those with least power.

Method

Participatory approaches like "Crafting Participatory Tech Futures" and PaFRIA (Participatory Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment) are proposed to democratize AI development and governance.

In practice

• Explore FAccT sessions on refusal and participatory AI methods.
• Contribute to SAIER Volume 8 on Power, Fracture, Resistance.
• Review the Vatican's *Magnifica Humanitas* for AI sovereignty arguments.

Topics

• AI Ethics
• FAccT Conference
• AI Governance
• AI Accountability
• AI Sovereignty
• Participatory AI
• Human-AI Interaction

Best for: AI Ethicist, Policy Maker, AI Student

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The AI Ethics Brief.