The US wants to use the United Nations to promote implementing AI regulations in place in member-states, revealing the effort’s ambition to have a worldwide effect and try to put the country in the driver’s seat regarding global AI governance.
The US is doing this through a non-binding resolution it hopes the UN General Assembly will adopt.
Bloomberg is reporting it has seen the draft of this resolution, co-sponsored by some 50 countries, that has Washington looking for global implementation of harmonized rules to enable “responsible, inclusive, safe, secure, and trustworthy” AI use.
However, Bloomberg notes the discrepancy of the US not having legislated for such regulations at home – although there have been rumblings in Congress about the necessity of moving in this direction.
And yet – and perhaps as a prelude to such an outcome – the resolution reportedly seeks to get national governments to make sure these “universal” new rules take root.
Despite the talk about “closing the gap” between rich and poor as the reason for such regulations, it seems several members of the US Congress would like to better compete with China in this area – hopefully only as far as the technology itself is concerned.
A key point of the document now tabled at the UN is making sure there are “effective safeguards” related to AI. And the White House never loses sight of the private sector – here Bloomberg cites from the resolution that it is “encouraging” that sector to “adhere to applicable international and domestic laws.”
Major countries/blocs like China and the EU already have their own legislation governing AI, but the US sees this time as apparently “a critical moment” to achieve consensus on the issue and engage in “collective action.”
That’s according to the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who this week told journalists such action would “extend the benefits of AI to member states across all regions and development levels.”
The draft itself plays on this at first glance altruistic motive behind the initiative, when it speaks about “closing the gaps between richer and poorer countries” by means of technology transfer, assistance, and funding of AI in developing countries.
Meanwhile, the EU Parliament has just passed its controversial AI Act, while China’s government in August issued two dozen extensive and strict “guidelines.”
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