Belarus Sets New Standards for Ethical and Secure Artificial Intelligence Development

How Belarus Is Improving the Quality of AI Services

Artificial intelligence is transforming Belarus's economy and society across sectors like healthcare, education, transport, and environmental management. The National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2040 includes plans to integrate AI into all economic areas. But rapid AI adoption raises important questions: how can Belarus advance technology while maintaining security, predictability, and ethical standards? With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Belarus is crafting a regulatory framework that balances international best practices with national priorities.

AI and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Opportunities and Risks

AI’s influence on the Sustainable Development Goals is complex. Research by Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology indicates AI can positively affect 79% of the SDGs by offering innovative solutions for major development challenges.

• Poverty alleviation: AI-driven spatial analysis improves infrastructure planning related to trade, transport, social, and health services, making targeted support more effective.
• Gender equality: AI tools can help individuals choose careers aligned with their skills, reducing employment discrimination.
• Climate action: Crop productivity prediction models enable better adaptation to climate change impacts.

By 2030, AI is expected to eliminate 92 million jobs but create 170 million new, higher-tech roles worldwide.

However, large-scale AI adoption can deepen inequalities caused by uneven access to digital tech. Algorithms trained on biased or incomplete data risk flawed outcomes. Cybersecurity risks and privacy breaches add to concerns about uncontrolled AI growth. This dual nature requires clear standards to maximize AI’s benefits while minimizing risks.

Building a National AI Standardization Ecosystem

AI standardization was a key topic at Minsk’s Digital Expo 2025 (TIBO). For the fourth year, UNDP Belarus’s Accelerator Lab gathered experts at the country’s leading digital forum. The "AI Standardization" roundtable, organized with the State Committee for Standardization and major public, business, and academic institutions, took a major step toward establishing a national AI regulatory system.

Experts reviewed AI regulations from China, Russia, and Eurasian Economic Union countries, guided by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. This helped identify the best ways to adapt global standards to Belarus’s needs.

Belarus is beginning to standardize AI terminology and frameworks. With UNDP’s help, stakeholders are developing both legislative safeguards and technical standards. The country plans to create ten national AI standards soon, including three developed with UNDP support:

• Ethics and social implications reviews
• Controllability of automated AI systems
• Security and privacy protection in AI deployment

Ethical Frameworks

Ethical discussions have accompanied AI since early machine learning days. As AI starts outperforming humans in specialized areas, ethics become even more crucial. The upcoming "Ethics and Social Implications Overview" standard aims to improve AI predictability and safety by preventing misuse.

Key risks involve how data is collected and used, including unauthorized access and training on biased or inaccurate data. The "black box" problem—where AI decision-making lacks transparency—is complicated by poor traceability of data and algorithms. The social impact of AI over time also remains unclear.

This standard avoids promoting any single value system but covers accountability, non-discrimination, and personal data protection, among other criteria.

AI Controllability

The "Automated AI System Controllability" standard is critical for sectors like healthcare, law, and transport. Neural networks often make decisions that are hard to explain, raising questions about when and how humans should intervene. This standard sets requirements for monitoring AI systems in real time and defines protocols for transferring control back to humans when needed.

Uncertainty response algorithms are also a focus, ensuring AI reacts safely to unexpected situations.

AI Security and Privacy

Security and privacy are central challenges today. The "AI Security and Privacy" standard addresses risks of personal data exposure and misuse of AI capabilities.

It outlines methods to prevent accidental data leaks and analyzes AI system vulnerabilities that could be exploited. The standard recommends risk assessment and protective measures to build secure AI technology environments.

Environmental Applications

Belarus’s AI standards emphasize natural resource management and environmental protection. AI helps identify forest areas prone to disease-carrying insects, supporting efforts to prevent zoonotic epidemics.

For example, the AI-based Zzapp Malaria program, supported by UNDP, reduced malaria incidence by 52%, proving twice as effective as traditional mosquito nets. This solution can adapt to similar climate regions.

AI also improves disaster prevention and early warning systems. UNDP’s SDG AI Lab has created prototypes that notify rural communities in Madagascar about droughts and calculate safe earthquake evacuation routes in Istanbul.

Future Trajectory

UNDP has helped build expert communities and technical committees to review and approve AI standards. These foundations aim to support future intergovernmental committees that will harmonize standards across borders.

Plans include expanding cooperation with the private sector and NGOs, along with developing digital education programs using expertise from the UNDP Regional Centre in Istanbul. Collaboration between government, academia, and international partners is creating frameworks that support AI as a driver for sustainable development.

Belarus’s approach shows how technological progress can coincide with ethical and sustainable development principles. It offers a model for countries seeking to build responsible digital economies.