tech
How to Govern AI in a World in Rupture
Last month, I asked hundreds of young people from all over Europe what the internet would look like in 2036. For 46%, it was “something we can’t imagine yet.” This was the most common single answer, and it reflects how the technological revolution driven by artificial intelligence is moving faster than we can imagine it, let alone govern it.
TL;DR
- Young people anticipate the internet of 2036 will be unimaginable due to the rapid pace of AI development.
- The international legal order is weakening, coinciding with the rise of AI, which requires shared rules.
- AI facilitates disinformation campaigns that can undermine democracy without needing to overturn elections.
- AI amplifies negative aspects of society like sexism and racism, making outrage its business model.
- Without legal frameworks, AI makes critical decisions without accountability, potentially discriminating based on race or name.
- Laws governing AI must address current and future evolutions, protecting individuals regardless of technological changes.
- Individuals should have the right to know when a machine is making decisions about them, understand the reasoning, and challenge the outcome.
- The Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI is the first international treaty of its kind, aiming to ensure AI respects human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
- Geopolitical fragmentation could lead to competing AI governance standards, leaving some regions behind.
- The AI Framework Convention is open to all states and is designed to prevent the world from fracturing into spheres of AI control.
- The Convention takes a risk-based approach and provides practical tools, aiming to protect and connect people rather than divide and exploit them.
- Despite the promise of AI for breakthroughs in medicine and science, it can also be used against people.
- A treaty exists, but political will is needed to implement it.
- International law remains crucial for holding power accountable, especially in a world order in rupture.