Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries called for the development and implementation of global technical standards on artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate trustworthy use of the technology. The G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, noted that the range of approaches to this common vision of trustworthy AI may vary, but that any such standards should be in line with the shared democratic principles of the G7.
The Group of Seven self-proposed rules for the use of AI mirror the approach of the European Union, which is close to implementing new legislation to regulate AI. The EU’s Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the organization is focused on ensuring AI systems are accurate, reliable, safe and non-discriminatory.
Elon Musk, Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and other AI experts also warned of the increasing potential risks to society posed by more powerful systems. The G7 governments thus decided to immediately assess the opportunities and challenges of generative AI with a specific focus on copyright and disinformation.
The US leader Joe Biden is taking a more cautious approach while Japan is driving adoption with support for public and industrial AI use. On the other hand, China has a more restrictive approach to regulating AI, with the Cybersecurity law requiring AI-powered services to support the country’s core socialist values.
In response to the different approaches, the G7 leaders collaborated and created the Hiroshima AI process. This platform would enable ministers to discuss relevant topics on generative AI by the end of 2021.The leaders have also asked international organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to analyze the impact of such policy developments. The US and EU will be exchanging views on the emerging technologies at the Trade and Technology Council in Sweden this May.
OpenAI, a research lab focused on discovering and enacting the path to safe artificial general intelligence, is one of the main companies responsible for the call for the G7 leadership’s action taken in response to AI. Founded in December 2015, OpenAI is a $1 billion non-profit funded by members such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and YC Group, along with many individuals. OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that everyone benefits from the advances in AI, so that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is developed safely and used responsibly.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is a key figure in representing the worries of AI experts and in making the G7 call for action inevitable. He is an entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and writer. In addition to being the Alexander and Nancy Orfalea Foundation’s Life Trustee, he is also an advisor and board member to organizations such as Andreessen Horowitz or the Founders Fund. Altman was the President of Y Combinator between 2014 and 2019 and has made YC one of the most influential and successful accelerators.
