Recognizing the strategic, economic, and social significance of artificial intelligence (AI), numerous governments have adopted strategies to meet the challenges and opportunities of this technology. Originally focused on industrial competitiveness and investment in research and innovation, policymakers are also assessing the risks of AI for fundamental rights and safety. The pursuit of responsible AI—AI that is ethical, trustworthy, and reliable—is increasingly central to many governments’ AI policy, a focus for AI research and development, and a concern for civil society eager to maximize the opportunities of AI while mitigating its risks.
These issues transcend national boundaries. As a result, international cooperation on AI policy and development has become an important element of national policies and a focus for international bodies. In 2019, CEPS partnered with The Brookings Institution to explore transatlantic and international cooperation in AI. The jointly established multi-stakeholder Forum for Cooperation on AI (FCAI) brings together government officials and leading experts from academia, the private sector, and civil society. Beginning as a transatlantic dialogue among Canada, the EU, the U.K. and the U.S., FCAI expanded to encompass Australia, Japan, and Singapore, and convened nine roundtables among officials and experts over a 16-month period since June 2020.
The progress report “Strengthening international cooperation on AI”, co-authored by CEPS Senior Research Fellow Andrea Renda and Associate Researcher Rosanna Fanni , focuses on the most compelling reasons for stepping up international cooperation (the “why”); the issues and policy domains that appear most ready for enhanced collaboration (the “what”); and the instruments and forums that could be leveraged to achieve meaningful results in advancing international AI standards, regulatory cooperation, and joint R&D projects to tackle global challenges (the “how”). FCAI continues its roundtables on topics including governmental use of AI, regulatory cooperation and harmonisation, AI trade agreement, and ways forward with China.
On 27 October, Andrea Renda together with Brookings co-authors Cameron Kerry and Joshua Meltzer will present findings and recommendations of the report at the event “Aligning technology governance with democratic values” organised by the Brookings Institution.
