The G7 leaders have called for the implementation of "guardrails" to regulate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) during their summit. The rapid advancements in AI have raised concerns about the need for greater oversight, although governments have yet to reach a concrete agreement on how to regulate the technology.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among those at the summit who emphasized the importance of establishing guardrails to address potential abuses associated with AI, particularly in relation to large language models and generative AI.
While acknowledging the significant benefits of AI for citizens and the economy, von der Leyen stressed the necessity of ensuring that AI systems are accurate, reliable, safe, and non-discriminatory, regardless of their origin.
Sunak highlighted the potential of AI to drive economic growth and transform public services, emphasizing the importance of using the technology safely and securely with proper regulations in place. The British government pledged to collaborate with international allies to coordinate efforts aimed at establishing appropriate regulations for AI companies.
The G7 leaders' discussions on AI were a key component of the summit, which focused on the global economy. In a gathering preceding the summit, ministers responsible for digital and technology matters from G7 nations agreed on broad recommendations for AI, emphasizing the need for human-centric policies and regulations based on democratic values, including the protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms, privacy, and personal data.
They emphasized the importance of adopting a risk-based and forward-looking approach to create an open and enabling environment for AI development and deployment, maximizing its benefits while mitigating associated risks. This reaffirmation of principles reflects the ongoing efforts of governments to address the regulation of AI systems, as demonstrated by recent actions taken by the European Union and regulatory bodies like the US Federal Trade Commission and the UK's competition watchdog.
The debate among G7 leaders over AI was a significant part of the opening session of the three-day summit, dedicated to the global economy. Ministers for digital and technology issues from G7 states met in Japan last month where they agreed broad recommendations for AI, at a gathering designed to prepare for this weekend’s leaders’ summit.
“We reaffirm that AI policies and regulations should be human centric and based on nine democratic values, including protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the protection of privacy and personal data,” the ministers’ communique stated. “We also reassert that AI policies and regulations should be risk-based and forward-looking to preserve an open and enabling environment for AI development and deployment that maximises the benefits of the technology for people and the planet while mitigating its risks,” it continued.
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