Statement on International Artificial Intelligence Governance

The Co-Chairs of the AI Action Summit Working Group; Mr. Abhishek Singh of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India, and Mr. Henri Verdier, of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France, released the following statement:

As part of the preparation for the AI Action Summit co-chaired by France and India, a working group on AI governance, bringing together 29 States, 6 international organizations, 7 tech companies and 10 civil society organizations, met for 7 months.

Its work aimed to identify points of consensus to draw a cartography of fields and needs of AI governance, adopting a broad lens, ranging from technical standards to targeted public policies, including safety frameworks, ethics guidelines produce resources to feed further work, notably within the UN.

Its main conclusions are summarized here.

The ongoing revolution in artificial intelligence is unleashing a power of action unprecedented in the history of humanity, which will create immense opportunities, entail risks, and rapidly transform the main economic, political and social balances. It calls for a collective and concerted response, both to involve all the parties concerned in shaping our common future, and to prevent a frenetic race from turning into a “race to the bottom” and losing sight of the fundamental requirements of safety and respect for human dignity.

As history has shown with other disruptive technologies, such as telecommunications, there is an urgent need for global action toward openness, accessibility, and inclusiveness. It is the responsibility of governments to leverage AI’s potential to foster a more equitable and just world. For this to happen, a strong, inclusive global governance framework for AI must be established—one that is guided by a shared vision of fairness and progress.

Given the multifaceted nature of AI, a comprehensive AI governance is essential. AI raises numerous complex issues—security, ethics, environmental impact, access, competition, linguistic and cultural preservation, data protection, interoperability of standards, military use, and the integrity of information. These concerns require coordinated efforts and diverse perspectives.

The Working Group on AI Governance has therefore worked together to design a map to identify the gaps and overlaps and a shared understanding of the areas of a comprehensive ‘system of governance’.

It was made clear from the outset that “governance” did not systematically mean regulation, but included a wide range of modalities for action: codes of conduct, voluntary commitments, sharing of best practices, open standards, etc.

Work on this map led to several important conclusions:

• There are a number of diverse issues considered important to AI governance, mainly addressed by the principles for responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI:
  (1) Inclusive growth, sustainable development and well-being;
  (2) Respect for the rule of law, human rights and democratic values, including fairness and privacy;
  (3) Transparency and explainability;
  (4) Robustness, security and safety;
  (5) Accountability.
• There are also many other new issues that require attention (the need to guarantee linguistic and cultural diversity, attention to market structure, the importance of the question of democratic access to these resources, etc.).
• The importance of “Enablers for progress”: public infrastructures, open standards and the distribution of skills and competencies are considered just as important for good collective governance as texts or commitments. In AI as elsewhere, “Code is law, infrastructure is politics”.
• Finally, the need to reflect not only on AI developments, but also on anticipating their social consequences, for example in terms of the future of work.

We would like to highlight the important exchanges, albeit inconclusive, on the question of the interoperability of standards and public policies, and on the articulation of the local and the global, in respect of international law and more national or regional collective preferences.

Although this question was not properly debated within the group, it seems clear to the co-chairs that the diversity of the issues raised calls for the design of an AI governance system.

This work has not only brought to light essential issues that need attention by the international community but has also demonstrated a method worthy of long-term application: building consensus on governance needs before designing a governance framework.

Armed with these provisional conclusions, the working group set about compiling a review of AI governance initiatives led by the main international organizations and regional or multi-stakeholder initiatives. This review was built on a declarative basis. As they have neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to verify these declarations, the rapporteurs have chosen not to publish this document (called the AI Governance Framework), but to leave it available to the members of the working group, the international organizations concerned and the facilitators of the GDC implementation, to feed future work.

In closing, the work accomplished by this Working Group represents an important step toward establishing robust and inclusive systems for global AI governance. As we look ahead, it is crucial that we continue to build upon the foundation we have set here, refining, and expanding our efforts in future summits. By maintaining an open dialogue, fostering international collaboration, and addressing emerging challenges, we can ensure that AI is developed in a manner that is safe, secure, trustworthy, equitable, and beneficial to all.

Mr. Abhishek Singh,
Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology,
India

Mr. Henri Verdier,
Ambassador for Digital Affairs,
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France