The pressing need for effective, timely and global governance of artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is transforming our world. It has the potential to bring economic savings and to further research development in a wide range of problems ranging from climate change to the discovery of new cancer treatments to the retail shopping experience. However the economic and social benefit of AI must be weighed against the possibility of dystopian level scenarios such as the use of robots in making life or death decisions in war and issues already being seen, such as the spread of fake news and social media being used to influence elections.
There is, at present, no regulatory body for the development of artificial intelligence. The One World Trust believes that this requires urgent action, and that we must develop effective, timely and global governance of AI in order to ensure that the benefits of these new technologies are shared, and potential harms minimised.
The One World Trust has launched a project to help address this need. Working with partners including the World Federalist Movement - Institute of Global Policy, a project team has produced an in-depth report on the key issues, including clear policy recommendations on governance and regulation. The report, titled, 'Effective, Timely & Global - The Urgent Need for Good Global Governance of AI' is now available. To contact the authors or contribute to this debate, please contact rwhitfield@oneworldtrust.org.
So what are we aiming for?
There has been much talk of the need for AI global Governance – but what would it look like if we got it? A new paper entitled AI Global Governance – What are we aiming for? exploring the characteristics that a new AI Governance system should be designed to exhibit is now available. The paper also seeks to review the current processes underway regarding international and global AI governance. One option is to commence with an AI version of the Internet Governance Forum, something that is discussed in the Blog.
The precise way in which the global governance of AI should be implemented within individual countries and courts remains at this stage an open question. Matthew Scherer wrote an article entitled "Regulating Artificial Intelligence Systems: Risks, Challenges, Competencies, and Strategies". The article was focused on national regulation and courts. Patrick Sharkey for the OWT explored the potential of applying Scherer's model within an international context: "AI and Global Regulation: Can Mathew Scherer's National Proposal be Implemented on the International Level?".
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