By: Robert Manning
What is the kernel of the issue?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is like electricity: an enabling technology that, over the coming decades, will become a ubiquitous driver of economic growth and shaping legal, medical, educational, financial, and military sectors. Yet, it is largely ungoverned and unregulated.
Why is the issue important?
AI commercial and military applications are rapidly growing and, with them, the risk of catastrophic failure, including of autonomous weapons. In national statements of ethics and principals, the major actors—US, Europe, China, and Japan—have all identified overlapping AI ethics. However, these principles have not been operationalized into rules, standards, and norms.
What is the recommendation?
The major AI powers—US, China, EU, Japan—should lead a G-20 effort to create an international commission to define core ethics and principles (do no harm to humans, transparency, accountability for failure, etc.) to oversee and monitor an AI regulatory regime.