The European Union and the United States have announced their upcoming release of a voluntary code of conduct on artificial intelligence (AI), which aims to establish agreed standards among democratic nations.
The growing risks associated with AI, including potential impacts on privacy and civil liberties, have caused concern from both political and technology industry leaders.
After talks with EU officials in Sweden, US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken stressed the need for immediate action, saying Western partners recognize the need and “like-minded countries” to adopt a voluntary code of conduct. I invite you to join. Blanken recognized the common lag between the emergence of new technologies and the time it takes for governments and institutions to legislate or regulate them.
European Commission Vice-President Margaret Vestager revealed that a draft code would be proposed “within weeks”. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating that democracies can deliver and expressed a desire to involve a wider range of countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and India, to participate in the initiative.
During the Trade and Technology Council talks in Lulea, Sweden, Sam Altman, representing OpenAI, creator of the popular ChatGPT bot, joined the conversation. The Trade and Technology Council was established in 2021 to deal with trade disputes with a special focus on artificial intelligence.
In a joint statement from the White House and the European Commission, both sides recognized AI as a transformative technology with the potential to increase prosperity and equality. However, he emphasized the need to minimize its risks. EU and US experts will collaborate on AI standards, tools for reliable AI, and risk management.
While the EU is pushing ahead with the world’s first AI regulations, including bans on biometric surveillance and requirements for human control of the technologies, China has set global AI standards due to its desire to export its expertise and authoritarian countries. Concerns about doing so remain. The U.S. has not taken significant steps to regulate AI, but technology industry leaders, including Altman, have pushed for regulation to address the risks posed by AI.
The accelerated transatlantic engagement on AI at the Sweden meeting was welcomed by the Computer and Communications Industry Association, which represents major technology firms. However, the association reiterated its opposition to EU fees or measures targeting foreign tech companies.
